Rising commodity prices and disruptions to global supply chains sparked by the war in Iran threatened the delivery of life-saving aid, the UN argued.
The vast majority of African nations are net food and fuel importers, meaning higher prices risk having a disproportionate impact on the continent. And a large share of the world’s humanitarian relief, much of it destined for Africa, travels through the Strait of Hormuz, which Tehran has essentially shut.
The impact is compounding the war’s consequences for African nations, many of which have already seen foreign aid collapse in the last year. “This really is a perfect storm of factors right now, and I’m seriously worried,” the UN’s aid chief told Reuters.