Shafaq News- Rome
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warnedon Tuesday that the escalating Middle East conflict could push global hunger torecord levels in 2026, as prolonged instability threatens energy markets andthe broader world economy.
In a new analysis, the agency projected that nearly 45million additional people could fall into acute food insecurity or worse (IPCPhase 3 or higher) if the conflict continues through mid-2026 and oil pricesremain above $100 per barrel, adding to the 318 million people already facingsevere hunger worldwide.
WFP recalled that global hunger reached historiclevels during the 2022 crisis linked to the war in Ukraine, when 349 millionpeople experienced surging food prices and supply disruptions, warning thatcurrent tensions could trigger a similar shock.
?The number of people facing acute levels of hunger could reach record numbers if the escalation in the Middle East continues.A new analysis warns that vulnerable families managing to put some food on the table today may soon find they are only able to afford little or none.
— World Food Programme (@WFP) March 17, 2026Although the confrontation centers on a major energyhub rather than a key grain-producing region, the agency noted that the impactcould still be significant because energy and food markets are closely connected,saying that higher fuel costs increase transportation, fertilizer, andagricultural production expenses, which in turn drive food prices upward acrossinternational markets.
“If this conflict continues, it will send shockwavesacross the globe, and families who already cannot afford their next meal willbe hit the hardest,” WFP Deputy Executive Director and Chief Operating OfficerCarl Skau cautioned. “Without an adequately funded humanitarian response, itcould spell catastrophe for millions already on the edge.”
The agency also highlighted disruptions to globalshipping, including a near standstill in the Strait of Hormuz and growingthreats to maritime routes in the Red Sea, developments that have alreadypushed up the cost of energy, fuel, and fertilizer.
WFP projections indicate that sub-Saharan Africa andparts of Asia face the greatest exposure because of heavy reliance on importedfood and fuel. The analysis forecasts a 21% rise in food insecurity in West andCentral Africa, a 17% increase in East and Southern Africa, and a 24% surge inparts of Asia. Meanwhile, Sudan, which imports about 80%of its wheat, could face growing hardship as staple prices climb, whileSomalia, currently enduring severe drought, has already recorded increases ofat least 20% in some essential commodities since the conflict began.
The situation is unfolding amid major fundingshortfalls for humanitarian operations, WFP also warned. The agency has alreadyreduced assistance in several regions, leaving vulnerable communities withoutsupport and raising the risk that worsening food insecurity could push somefragile states closer to famine.
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