The US-Israel war on Iran is wreaking havoc on food aid, with a new report exposing a crisis beyond belief
No relief in sight.
The United Nations is sounding the alarm, warning that the ongoing US–Israel war on Iran could push global hunger levels to an unthinkable new record. We’re talking about a potential staggering increase of 45 million more people facing acute hunger if the conflict continues through June.
According to Al Jazeera, Carl Skau, Deputy Executive Director, UN’s World Food Programme (WFP), highlighted this dire situation on March 17, 2026. He explained that if the conflict in the Arab region keeps raging, those price rises alone could add millions to the already struggling population. Right now, there are already 319 million people experiencing acute food insecurity, which is a historic high, and this new projection would just blow that number out of the water.
The problems really started piling up after the US-Israeli attacks on Iran kicked off on February 28. These actions have seriously choked up vital humanitarian aid routes, causing major delays for life-saving shipments to some of the world’s most critical crises.
Make way war, inflation and fuel price hike, famine has entered the chat
Skau pointed out that shipping costs have jumped by a significant 18% since the war began, forcing some shipments to be rerouted entirely. To make matters worse, these extra costs are hitting the WFP at a time when they’ve already had to implement deep spending cuts because many donors are shifting their focus and funds towards defense.
One of the places feeling the pinch most acutely is Gaza. Residents there are scrambling to stockpile what little goods they can find as border closures and the Iran war further strain already fragile supplies. Shortages are just worsening across the besieged enclave while Israel continues its genocidal war there.
Israel had actually shut down Gaza’s Rafah crossing with Egypt the very same day it and the US launched strikes on Iran, citing “security” reasons. While there’s talk of a partial reopening on March 18, 2026, ending a two-week shutdown, the damage is already done, deepening an already catastrophic humanitarian crisis in that decimated territory.
The World Health Organization’s regional director for the Eastern Mediterranean even warned last week that only about 200 trucks a day were getting into Gaza, which is far, far short of the estimated daily requirement of 600. It’s not just Gaza, either.
Over in Sudan, more than 21 million people, which is nearly half the entire population, are facing acute hunger. Famine has actually been confirmed in some areas where months of brutal fighting have made it almost impossible for aid workers to get in and help.
Back in January, the UN warned that aid to Sudan could run out within months unless hundreds of millions of additional dollars were pledged. The country has been gripped by three years of brutal war between the military government and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, a conflict that has tragically killed tens of thousands of people and displaced a staggering 14 million.
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