The continuing US-Israel war on Iran has compounded other global disasters to drive record numbers of people into hunger at a time when funding to combat famine has fallen dramatically, the head of the UN World Food Programme (WFP) has said.
Historic Levels of Hunger
The WFP reports that 363 million people worldwide are now at risk of acute hunger, with 45 million of them affected by conflict in the Middle East and the resulting oil price spike. This surge in need coincides with a one-third reduction in funding last year, as the United States, the largest donor, cut its contribution by more than half.
Carl Skau, the WFP's acting executive director, stated that the vast gap between needs and resources has forced the organization to reduce programs supporting populations in food emergencies to focus on those already facing catastrophic famine. "We take from the hungry to give to the starving. That's the reality," Skau explained. He noted that two famines were declared in 2025, a situation not seen in decades, marking historic levels of hunger.
Famines in Gaza and Sudan
The two famines declared in 2025 were in Gaza and Sudan. The situation in Gaza has improved slightly since the October ceasefire, while Sudan remains the world's worst humanitarian crisis, with persistent famine in parts of Darfur and South Kordofan. Funding dropped by nearly 40% year-on-year, immediately affecting staffing levels, particularly in Afghanistan and Yemen, where the Trump administration cut all emergency food funding. "We had to let go of 5,000 people in Afghanistan. It meant we went from supporting 10 million to 2 million," Skau said.
Impact of the Iran War
More than 300 million people were already facing acute hunger before the US and Israel initiated a war with Iran in February, leading to Tehran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz and a subsequent US counterblockade on Iranian shipping. The WFP estimated earlier in the conflict that if oil prices remained above $100, an additional 45 million people would face acute food shortages. While Brent crude fell below that benchmark in mid-May, it remained above $100 for weeks in March and May, and still costs 30% more than its prewar average.
The war and the Hormuz closure have driven up food prices, primarily due to transport costs. "The price of food and energy is so closely correlated that in some places if the price of energy goes up 30%, food inflation almost meets that," Skau said. In least developed countries, the most vulnerable populations already spend all their money on food, forcing them to eat 30% to 40% less.
Disrupted Aid Routes
The oil price spike also directly affects WFP efforts to deliver food to the most desperate. Operating costs for transport have increased, and some aid routes have been blocked. Border tensions with the Taliban in Afghanistan led Pakistan to close crossings, blocking the usual food aid route. The Gulf conflict then closed the second longest border with Iran, forcing the WFP to use long and costly land routes. Skau reported that 85,000 tons of food aid intended for Afghanistan was stuck on the Pakistan border for months, rerouted to Dubai, and then stranded again when the Iran war broke out. It was eventually sent through Turkey, across the Caspian Sea, and Turkmenistan, arriving seven months late.
Funding Crisis
The oil price hike and resulting inflationary surge have also affected donor countries' willingness to fund the WFP. Total donor contributions dropped from $9.8 billion in 2024 to $6.5 billion in 2025. US funding fell from $4.4 billion to $2.1 billion, while UK contributions declined from $610 million to $435 million. This year, estimated funding needs are $13 billion, but only $2.8 billion has been received so far.
Fertiliser Supply Chain at Risk
The Iran war is also creating severe problems for next year by disrupting the supply chain for a third of the world's seaborne fertiliser. "In east Africa, all their fertiliser comes from the Middle East, and they don't have the capacity nor the resources to buy elsewhere," Skau said. If the conflict continues, eastern Africa will face a shortage of fertiliser as it heads into the planting season, impacting productivity six to nine months later.
Erosion of International Norms
Beyond the immediate impact of the Iran war, Skau highlighted the corrosion of international norms that has made humanitarian work more dangerous than ever. Over the past three years, more than 1,000 humanitarian workers have been killed while on duty. Iranian-backed Houthi forces are still holding 38 WFP workers detained last year on unsubstantiated espionage allegations, leading the organization to suspend operations in Houthi-controlled areas. "We really feel this broader sense of a challenge to the rule of law," Skau said, noting that drone wars and lack of accountability have made the environment increasingly perilous.
