A specialized analysis by the World Food Programme (WFP) warns that if the current conflict in Iran persists through June, an additional 45 million people worldwide could fall into acute hunger.

The organization noted that the ripple effects of this war are pushing global starvation figures toward record-breaking levels.

Alexander De Croo, head of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), cautioned on Friday that the extreme volatility in fuel and fertilizer markets could drive at least 33 million people into extreme poverty in the coming months.

Humanitarian Corridors Blocked
Since the onset of military actions on February 28, major humanitarian supply routes have been obstructed.

This has caused critical delays in delivering life-saving food and medicine to the world’s most vulnerable regions.

Logistic complications and the blockade of relief vessels are rapidly intensifying the humanitarian disaster.

Rising Costs and Budget Cuts
Carl Skau, WFP Deputy Executive Director, highlighted in Geneva last month that energy, food prices, and shipping rates have surged abnormally since the war began.

Increased Risks: Rising fuel and transport costs place an additional 45 million people at risk of acute hunger, potentially pushing the global total past the current record of 319 million.

Logistics: Since February 28, WFP shipping costs have spiked by at least 18%, with vessels forced to take much longer alternative routes.

Funding Gap: While costs are rising, the WFP faces significant budget cuts as donor nations shift priorities toward defense spending rather than humanitarian aid.

A "Brutal" Future
Skau warned that the global food security system was already in a "state of extreme crisis" prior to the conflict. He emphasized that a prolonged war would lead to hunger levels that could shatter all historical records.

UNDP chief Alexander De Croo informed Reuters that even an immediate ceasefire would not negate the destructive impacts already in motion.

He lamented that in just eight weeks of conflict, approximately 0.5% to 0.8% of global GDP—wealth that took decades to build—has been erased.

The peak of this food insecurity is expected to hit within a few months, with limited options available to prevent the fallout.