The crisis is raising alarm for farmers and food systems worldwide, particularly in vulnerable and conflict-affected countries such as Sudan, where fertiliser shortages could translate quickly into weaker harvests and higher hunger risks.
UN Secretary‑General António Guterres established the task force to facilitate humanitarian-linked movement of fertilisers and inputs, including urea, sulphur and ammonia, after disruptions in the Persian Gulf threatened to choke off global supply chains. The task force is headed by Jorge Moreira da Silva, Executive Director of the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS).
“We cannot afford to wait,” Jorge Moreira da Silva said, warning that the planting season is already underway and a major food crisis could follow if supplies do not move soon. A seven-day timeline has been set to operationalise a “one‑stop platform”, contingent on access being granted for fertilisers and related raw materials.
The task force is designed as a time‑bound, exceptional mechanism focused solely on fertilisers and inputs, rather than oil and gas, based on the direct link between fertiliser scarcity and food insecurity. Jorge Moreira da Silva emphasised that the mechanism is not intended to undermine freedom of navigation, describing freedom of navigation as an “indisputable principle”, while calling for immediate practical steps to prevent hunger.
The operational model draws on earlier UN-backed logistics and verification frameworks, including mechanisms used for grain movement and humanitarian inspection regimes. The Hormuz platform would follow a structured sequence of registration, de‑confliction, monitoring, verification and reporting, aimed at building confidence through transparency and accountability.
UNOPS expects the system to support commercial vessels transporting fertilisers and raw materials, while pursuing an explicitly humanitarian goal: preventing fertiliser shortages from cascading into food shortages, price spikes and increased hunger across import‑dependent economies.
With the main planting window in many African countries expected to close by May, UN officials say the next few weeks will be decisive for harvest outcomes later in the year.
–UN/ChannelAfrica–
