Tens of millions of people could face the threat of hunger and malnutrition if fertiliser does not start flowing freely through the Strait of Hormuz, Jorge Moreira da Silva, executive director of the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS), told Agence France-Presse.
To avert a humanitarian crisis, he said, “there are several weeks ahead.” “We could be witnessing a crisis that will force another 45 million people to become malnourished and starving,” the UNOPS director said.
He believes that more countries are expressing support for the plan to allow several ships carrying fertiliser and related raw materials to pass through, but the United States and Iran, as well as the Gulf countries, which are key fertiliser producers, have not yet fully backed it.
The UN official emphasised that “the problem is that the planting season cannot wait” and in some African countries the planting season lasts only a few weeks.
Moreira da Silva said that allowing only five fertiliser ships a day to pass through the strait would avoid a crisis for farmers.
On 11 May, US President Donald Trump said a truce with Iran was “on the brink of survival” after Iranian authorities sent an “unacceptable” response to US peace proposals.
UN says threat of famine if blockade of Strait of Hormuz continues