UN warns of record hunger, 45 million more at risk, if Iran war continues

The Middle East conflict risks adding a staggering 45 million to acute hunger levels, warns the UN’s World Food Programme.Published On 17 Mar 2026Tens of millions more people will face acute hunger if the United States-Israel war on Iran, and its reverberations through Iran’s retaliation, continue through to June, the United Nations warned.“If the Middle East conflict continues through June, an additional 45 million people could be pushed into acute hunger by price rises,” Carl Skau, the deputy executive director of the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP), said on Tuesday.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Ramadan in Yemen’s Aden: Optimism dimmed by tensions and shortageslist 2 of 4Under the shadow of the Iran war, Israel finds another way to punish Gazalist 3 of 4How long can Israel sustain a military conflict with Iran?list 4 of 4Sudanese army retakes Bara, secures el-Obeid in North Kordofanend of list“This would take global hunger levels to an all-time record, and it’s a terrible, terrible prospect,” Skau said, with 319 million people, already a historic high, currently acutely food insecure.The US-Israeli attacks on Iran that began on February 28 have choked up key humanitarian aid routes, delaying life-saving shipments to some of the world’s worst crises.Skau said shipping costs are up 18 percent since the war began and that some have had to be rerouted.The extra costs come on top of deep spending cuts by the WFP, as donors focus more on defence, he added.Hunger crises in Gaza, SudanIn Gaza, residents are rushing to stockpile dwindling goods as border closures and the Iran war further strain already fragile supplies, with shortages worsening across the besieged enclave as Israel presses on with its genocidal war there.Israel is set to partially reopen Gaza’s Rafah crossing with Egypt on Wednesday, ending a two-week shutdown that has deepened an already catastrophic humanitarian crisis in the decimated territory.Israel shut the crossing the same day it and the US launched strikes on Iran, citing “security” reasons.