The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warned on Friday, June 5, 2026, that the ongoing conflict in the Middle East is pushing millions of people worldwide toward severe hunger, as skyrocketing fuel and transportation costs drive up food prices, while critical funding shortages force aid agencies to scale back operations.
The WFP noted that regional hostilities following the late February joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran disrupted vital shipping lanes, including the Strait of Hormuz, forcing vessels to reroute and destabilizing global energy supply chains.
Consequently, crude oil prices have sustained levels above $100 per barrel since early March, actualizing a grim scenario projected by the WFP that could see acute food insecurity affect up to 45 million people globally by June.
Vulnerable populations in Afghanistan, Somalia, and Sri Lanka are bearing the brunt of this crisis due to their heavy reliance on imported food and energy.
The WFP forecasts that 6.5 million people in Somalia (nearly a third of the population) will face severe hunger in 2026, while 17.4 million in Afghanistan will remain impacted.
These compounding crises occur alongside severe funding deficits, forcing the WFP to reduce its global beneficiary pool by 1.5 million people in 2026, a figure that could swell by an additional nine million if disruptions persist for another six months, especially as humanitarian transport costs to Afghanistan have surged fivefold.
