UN official warns of looming food crisis as Hormuz fertiliser plan stalls

A senior UN official warned that parts of Asia and Africa could face a food security crisis unless Iran and the US quickly agree on a UN-backed plan to facilitate fertiliser shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. Jorge Moreira da Silva emphasized the urgency of reaching an agreement within weeks as planting season approaches, warning that delays could significantly reduce agricultural productivity and increase prices. Disruptions caused by the US-Israel conflict with Iran have severely impacted global supplies of urea and sulfur, key inputs for farming, with about a third of global urea and nearly half of seaborne sulfur shipments passing through the strait. The situation risks triggering a worldwide food crisis if no resolution is achieved promptly.