The United Nations has warned that more than 30 million people worldwide will be pushed into poverty, even if the Middle East war ends immediately tomorrow, with food shortages expected to peak in the coming months.
On 23 Apr 2026 GMT+7, Alexander De Croo from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) told Reuters that over 30 million people worldwide will be forced back into poverty even if the Middle East conflict ends immediately tomorrow.
“The world is losing about 0.5% to 0.8% of GDP. What does this mean for the more vulnerable countries? It means 32 million people are being pushed back into poverty,” De Croo said.
“Remittances in the Asia-Pacific region amount to about 100 billion dollars annually, typically sent directly from family to family. But nowadays, much of that money is disappearing rapidly. Even if the war stops tomorrow, these impacts have already happened and will push more than 30 million people into poverty.”
De Croo, a former Prime Minister of Belgium, explained that this is due to soaring energy prices and increasing food insecurity. Besides being a major oil shipping route, the Strait of Hormuz also carries vast amounts of fertilizer. However, it is now closed because of the war.
De Croo also warned that food shortages will peak in the next few months. “The planting season is now... If you plant now without fertilizer, yields will drop significantly in September, October, and November... and food insecurity will reach its highest levels in the coming months.”
Source:cnn