UN chief warns of global famine risk if Strait of Hormuz blockade persists

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has warned that if the restoration of freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz is delayed until mid-year, it could lead to severe global humanitarian consequences.

Speaking to journalists, Guterres stated that under such a scenario, 45 million people could face extreme hunger, while 32 million people would be pushed to the brink of poverty.

He noted that even in the best-case scenario, where freedom of navigation in the strait is restored today, it would still take months to rebuild logistics chains.

“Now consider the second one, where disruption drags on through mid-year, growth falls to 2.5%. Inflation it's 5.4%. 32 million people are pushed into poverty. Fertilisers run low, and crops yields fall short, and 45 million more people will face extreme hunger,” Guterres added.

By Jeyhun Aghazada