Global food supply has become ‘collateral damage’ in conflicts: UN

NEW YORK, 25 AUGUST 2026 —

Global food supply at risk as maritime chokepoints become conflict flashpoints, UN warns

NEW YORK, Aug 24 — Disruptions to critical maritime chokepoints such as the Strait of Hormuz, Black Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait have intensified global hunger crises and must cease immediately, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said on Monday.

Speaking to reporters in New York, Guterres described the global food supply as “collateral damage” in escalating conflicts involving the United States, Iran and Israel; Russia and Ukraine; and the Yemeni Houthis and Saudi Arabia. He emphasized that maritime chokepoints must never be used as tools of coercion, stressing that the unimpeded movement of food, energy and essential goods is both a legal obligation and a humanitarian imperative.

“The unimpeded exercise of navigational rights and freedoms is a cornerstone of peace, security and shared prosperity, and must be respected,” Guterres said. “Protecting it is a legal obligation and a humanitarian imperative.”

Commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz—connecting the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman between Iran and Oman—has slowed. While U.S. and Iranian forces have each escorted limited oil tankers through separate sections of the strait, overall traffic has declined sharply, driving up oil prices and container shipping rates. These increases have directly raised the cost of food and fertilizers worldwide.

In the Bab al-Mandab Strait—linking the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden between Eritrea, Djibouti and Yemen—Iran-backed Houthi militants have imposed a naval blockade targeting vessels linked to Saudi Arabia. Historically, 12% of seaborne oil trade and 20% of the world’s oil supply have passed through Bab al-Mandab and Hormuz, respectively. Current conflicts have triggered global oil price shocks and higher food production and transportation costs.

In the Black Sea, intensified attacks by Russian and Ukrainian forces on ports and cargo ships in recent months have threatened the global grain supply, further straining food security.

“These crises are choking arteries of global trade and squeezing the global food system especially hard,” Guterres said. “The result is clear: higher prices, deepening hunger, weaker harvests and greater suffering—especially for the world’s most vulnerable people.”

Under international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), countries bordering straits must not impede transit passage. However, the U.S., Iran and Israel have not ratified the treaty. Guterres reiterated that navigational rights are not abstract principles but binding international law essential for peace and security.

To address the crisis, Guterres announced a task force established in March to facilitate safe, orderly and predictable maritime transit for humanitarian purposes through the Strait of Hormuz, initially focusing on commercial fertilizers and related raw materials. Led by UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) Executive Director Jorge Moreira da Silva, the task force may be expanded to include other products.

Guterres described the mechanism as a temporary measure until full navigational freedom is restored. “This mechanism is not a substitute for fully restoring navigational rights and freedoms, or for the political solutions needed to end these conflicts,” he said. “But it is a practical first step.”

Related: Sea