AFP:The ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran and wider Middle East tensions could sharply worsen global food insecurity, the World Bank’s chief economist has warned, cautioning that millions more people may be pushed towards hunger if the conflict drags on.
Speaking to AFP on the sidelines of the IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington, DC, Indermit Gill said the fallout from the war could have rapid and severe knock-on effects.
“You have about 300 million people who suffer from acute food insecurity already,” he said, warning that the number “will go up by about 20% very, very quickly” as the impact of the conflict spreads.
Gill said the most vulnerable would be populations in conflict zones or countries with fragile governments, where systems are already under strain.
If tensions are not eased soon, he warned, “hunger will start to stalk these countries massively.”
He added that while current food supplies remain stable, the real shock is likely to come later. “The food that’s in the market right now has already been grown,” Gill said, noting that the deeper effects would be felt in the coming months.
