UN warns of "daunting" humanitarian fallout from war with Iran

The UN’s humanitarian chief has warned of an “increasingly daunting” fallout from the war with Iran, CNN reports.

While civilians are suffering as strikes hit homes, hospitals and schools across the region, the incessant violence is limiting the UN’s ability to respond, Tom Fletcher said in a statement.

Airspace closures have meant personnel cannot rotate in and out, Fletcher said, and while he has activated contingency plans, “the limited presence of international NGOs and operational space in Iran makes the challenge there greater.”

“If energy routes or maritime corridors such as the Strait of Hormuz continue to be disrupted, food prices will soar, health systems will be squeezed, and basic supplies will tighten in countries that rely on imports,” Fletcher said.

The Strait of Hormuz is the narrow channel off Iran’s coast where nearly 20% of global oil consumption flows. Iran is vowing to attack any ship trying to pass through the passageway and oil prices have surged as the war has all but stopped the flow of oil through the channel.

In Lebanon, where the Israeli military said it has been targeting Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah, the UN said Israeli strikes have killed dozens and caused large-scale displacement. More than 60,000 people are sheltered in 330 sites amid Israeli evacuation warnings for more than 100 towns and villages, the UN says.