The United Nations (UN) agency says the humanitarian system is struggling to keep pace as regional needs expand rapidly amid escalating conflict.

Samer Abdeljaber, WFP Regional Director for the Middle East, North Africa and Eastern Europe, said the agency is working to sustain food assistance across roughly ten countries in the region, as well as Afghanistan. Preliminary estimates indicate that at least 200 million dollars will be required to maintain operations over the next three months.

“The food security situation in the Middle East was already difficult even before this crisis, and recent developments have made it worse,” Abdeljaber said.

The region faces a dangerous mix of economic fragility, conflict and disrupted trade routes. Geopolitical tensions and attacks affecting the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea, two of the world’s most critical maritime corridors, have strained global supply chains for energy, fertiliser and commercial goods.

“Any disruption in this vital corridor leads to reduced supplies, declining agricultural production and rising global food prices,” Abdeljaber said. Higher oil prices, he added, were already pushing up transport and fuel costs globally, with immediate consequences for humanitarian delivery.

In Gaza, where WFP aims to assist 1.6 million people every month, the closure of border crossings after the February 28 escalation triggered a dramatic spike in food prices. “The price of flour in Gaza’s local market increased by 270%,” Abdeljaber said. “When crossings are closed, even for just a few days, we are forced to reduce the food rations we provide.”

Following a truce in October, WFP had restored food distributions to full rations. Now, however, the agency may be forced to cut that support to just 25% of an individual’s needs due to persistent access constraints and supply shortages.

–UN/ChannelAfrica–