World: The Middle East conflict and the blocking of the Strait of Hormuz are fueling a global hunger crisis

Countries: World, Malawi, Somalia Source: CARE Atlanta, Georgia, May 14, 2026 – Acutely malnourished children in Somalia are already experiencing the life-threatening impact of an advancing global food crisis. Conflict in the Middle East and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz have forced vital humanitarian aid supplies to be rerouted, driving up costs and causing severe delays. In Somalia, the cost of importing 4,500kg of peanut-based therapeutic food to treat severe acute malnutrition among children under five has more than tripled in the past two months . Instead of each carton costing $55 via the Gulf, being forced to find an alternative emergency supplier has increased the cost to $200 per carton. This treatment program designed for 300 children will now support just 83 children with the most severe cases. Children who miss out on treatment face life-threatening malnutrition. One in three people in Somalia are facing high levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or above), according to the latest IPC analysis . Almost 2 million people are facing large food shortages and are classified in Emergency (IPC Phase 4). This is an increase of more than half a million people since the initial projection, reflecting a rapidly worsening situation. Nearly 1.9 million children are expected to require treatment for acute malnutrition in 2026. “This crisis is stealing choices from us and chances from children. Every delay, every empty shelf, means a child we cannot reach in time. Parents are watching their children grow weaker, knowing help exists but cannot arrive. When life‑saving treatment doesn’t come, hunger becomes a death sentence and that should never be the reality for a child,” said CARE Somalia Country Director Ummy Dubow . Sub-Saharan Africa is one of the most exposed regions to the consequences of this w...

Original source: Relief Web