Global food supply 'collateral damage' in conflicts, UN chief warns

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has declared that the global food supply is suffering as "collateral damage" in various international conflicts, urging an immediate halt to disruptions in key maritime routes. Speaking in New York, Guterres highlighted the severe impact of blocked shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz, the Black Sea, and the Bab al-Mandab Strait on escalating hunger crises worldwide.

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The unimpeded exercise of navigational rights and freedoms is a cornerstone of peace, security and shared prosperity, and must be respected.

"Maritime chokepoints must never become instruments of coercion," Guterres asserted, stressing that the unimpeded delivery of food, energy, and other essential goods is crucial. He underscored that the "unimpeded exercise of navigational rights and freedoms is a cornerstone of peace, security and shared prosperity, and must be respected." This protection, he added, is both a legal obligation and a humanitarian imperative.

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Maritime chokepoints must never become instruments of coercion.

The Strait of Hormuz, a vital passage between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, has seen commercial shipping drastically slow. While U.S. and Iranian forces escort limited numbers of tankers, Guterres noted the decline in traffic has driven up oil prices and container rates, directly impacting food and fertilizer costs. Similarly, in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, connecting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, Iran-backed Houthi militants have imposed a naval blockade on shipping linked to Saudi Arabia. Historically, about 12 percent of seaborne oil trade passed through Bab al-Mandab, and around 20 percent through Hormuz.

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These crises are choking arteries of global trade and squeezing the global food system especially hard.

These conflicts are collectively choking arteries of global trade, placing immense pressure on the world's food system. Guterres warned of the consequences: higher prices, deepening hunger, weaker harvests, and increased suffering, particularly for the most vulnerable populations. He reminded nations that navigational rights are not abstract principles but are enshrined in international law, specifically the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which prohibits hampering transit passage through straits. "Navigational rights and freedoms are not abstract principles. They are international law," Guterres stated, emphasizing their vital role in maintaining international peace and security.

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The result is clear: higher prices, deepening hunger, weaker harvests and greater suffering – especially for the world’s most vulnerable people.