Millions of vulnerable people around the world because of the war in the Middle East
New York, US (PANA) - Nearly a month after the start of the "devastating" war in the Middle East, its impact is considerable, extending beyond the borders of the countries affected by the conflict, a senior United Nations official warned on Monday, noting that this conflict is shaking the global economy in a context of "exponential rise" in energy prices.
According to the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS), severe disruptions to supply chains and shipping routes are impacting the availability and prices of essential goods, thereby exacerbating precariousness and vulnerability.
"The escalation in the Middle East continues to have devastating consequences for civilians and their livelihoods, with repercussions on a global scale," said Jorge Moreira da Silva, Director-General of UNOPS, in a statement.
These consequences directly affect the daily lives of the population and complicate the delivery of humanitarian aid.
“Disruptions and closures of airspace, transport, sea lanes and key humanitarian transit points across the Middle East are impacting humanitarian operations.”
A press statement said this situation is not limited to roads and transport: it also affects strategic points vital to global trade.
The Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of the world's hydrocarbon production usually passes, is effectively blocked due to the war in the Middle East, launched on 28 February by Israeli-American strikes against Iran. Large volumes of liquefied natural gas and fertilizers are also transported through this waterway.
However, according to the UN agency, attacks on commercial vessels, blocked ships and sailors threaten the delivery of essential goods and risk causing a rise in food prices.
Vulnerable populations in the Middle East and beyond risk bearing the brunt of this. "After decades of turmoil, repeated wars, economic stagnation, sanctions and socio-economic crises, the people of the region deserve and need peace, stability and sustainable development," Mr. Moreira da Silva insisted.
This warning comes at a time when food insecurity projections are hardly reassuring. According to the UN, the number of people suffering from hunger worldwide is expected to increase by tens of millions.
A war that spreads into the Gulf could also threaten the flow of remittances, primarily to South Asia.
The tensions in the region thus have both economic and humanitarian repercussions.
In Gaza, for example, access restrictions limit the entry of vital supplies and hinder humanitarian operations.
Developing countries in Asia and the African continent are likely to be the hardest hit.
To make matters worse, the conflict in the Middle East is having repercussions on fertilizer markets.
"What threatens food security in the countries where famine or food insecurity is most severe, including Sudan, South Sudan, Afghanistan, Yemen and Somalia," insisted the head of UNOPS, stressing that “the only way to end this chaos and the suffering of the people is through a diplomatic and peaceful solution”.
In addition, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has reported on talks between its Director General, Rafael Grossi, and the director of Rosatom, the Russian state-owned nuclear company whose technology is used in the Bushehr nuclear power plant, located on the Iranian coast of the Persian Gulf.
A strike that occurred on Wednesday, 18 March, about 350 meters from the Bushehr nuclear power plant "hit and destroyed" a structure, but caused no damage to the reactor or injured any personnel, Mr. Grossi said at the time.
More than a week later, the IAEA reiterated that, in accordance with the "seven essential pillars of nuclear security", "no military action should endanger the physical integrity and safety of nuclear power plants and their operating personnel".
-0- PANA MA 24March2026
