Women, girls make up 53% of people facing added food insecurity due to Mideast escalation: UN

Middle East escalation, Strait of Hormuz disruption could leave 11.7M more women, girls food insecure

Women and girls account for 53% of the projected 22 million additional people who could face food insecurity by the end of this year due to the Middle East escalation and disruption to the Strait of Hormuz, according to a UN Women analysis released Friday. That amounts to an additional 11.7 million women and girls across the 28 countries analyzed, on top of an estimated 208 million who were already food insecure or undernourished, it said. “When food becomes scarce, women eat less and last,” UN Women Deputy Executive Director Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda said, noting that women often shift to less nutritious diets or skip meals to prioritize others. The analysis said disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz are increasing energy, fertilizer and transport costs, pushing food prices higher. According to the analysis, countries such as South Sudan, Sudan, Haiti, Yemen and Palestine face more concentrated risks, as multiple sources of vulnerability overlap. UN Women called for food and cash assistance alongside nutrition, protection, livelihoods and agricultural support. It also urged resources to be targeted to places where women and girls face multiple, overlapping risks, and delivered at the right time – including ahead of agricultural seasons.