Tens of millions to starve if Strait of Hormuz not reopened within weeks, UN warns
"We may witness a crisis that will force 45 million more people into hunger and starvation," Jorge Moreira da Silva said
A United Nations (UN) official has warned that if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened within a few weeks, tens of millions of people will starve.
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Jorge Moreira da Silva, executive director of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), is urging the world to work together to prevent an impending humanitarian crisis that will arise due to the closure of the key waterway.
The sea route had been open prior to the US and Israel launching strikes against Iran.
In retaliation, Tehran effectively closed the shipping lane, sparking a global energy crisis that has seen prices rocket.
This led the US to impose its own blockade of Iranian ports, leading to a stand-off.
And there looks no sign of an end to the stalemate after Donald Trump said the Iran ceasefire was on “life support” and dismissed Tehran’s peace proposal as “garbage”.
Read more: Iran warns British warships face 'immediate response' as HMS Dragon sets sail for Middle East
UN Secretary General António Guterres set up a task force earlier this year to push for fertilisers and materials such as ammonia, sulphur and urea to be allowed through the strait.
It comes as the planting season across the world will come to a close in a few weeks.
"We have a few weeks ahead of us to prevent what will likely be a massive humanitarian crisis," Jorge Moreira da Silva, who is also leader of the task force, told AFP.
"We may witness a crisis that will force 45 million more people into hunger and starvation."
He has met with representatives from more than one hundred countries to garner support for the cause.
The Gulf states, as well as the United States and Iran, are not fully on board with it just yet.
He added that allowing just five ships, that are carrying the essential farming materials, through the strait each day could head off the potential for disaster.
But he says the political will is just not there.
"It's just a matter of time. If we don't stop the origin of the crisis soon, we will have to deal with the consequences through humanitarian aid," Moreira da Silva said.
"We can't procrastinate on what is possible to do, and what is urgent to do -- which is let the fertilisers cross the strait and, through that, minimize the risk of massive food insecurity at the global level."
