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UN warns of food crisis if Hormuz fertilizer plan stalls
In brief
A senior United Nations official warned on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, that parts of Asia and Africa could face a food security crisis unless the United States and Iran agree within weeks to a UN-backed plan for shipping fertilizer through the Strait of Hormuz. Under-Secretary-General Jorge Moreira da Silva said the plan could start within 7 to 10 days of a deal.
Why fertilizer is stuck
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has been badly disrupted since the war involving Iran began, Al Jazeera and Reuters reported. Before the war, about a third of the world's urea, the most widely used nitrogen fertilizer, and nearly half of seaborne sulphur moved through the strait. Fertilizer has made up only a tiny share of the ships that have got through, according to the International Food Policy Research Institute.
The UN plan
The UN set up a taskforce in March and drew up a mechanism that has not yet been used. It would run a UN-staffed coordination centre in Oman to register ships and oversee safe passage, with monitors checking cargo at Gulf ports and ships tracked during transit. Moreira da Silva said just five ships a day could keep supplies moving to countries in urgent need.
He said missing the coming planting season would cut farm output and push food prices higher. Talks between Washington and Tehran have stalled since a June interim ceasefire collapsed, and he did not say why the plan has not been approved.
Wider worries
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization warned in May that fertilizer shortages could tighten food supplies from late 2026 into 2027. Read our related summary of the IEA diesel shortage warning, and see how rising prices add up with the inflation calculator.
General news summary. ViralScopeHub is not affiliated with the United Nations or any government.
Why it matters
Fertilizer shortages during planting season can mean smaller harvests months later, which raises food prices most in countries that rely on imported fertilizer, including much of South Asia and Africa.
Related free tools: Inflation Calculator
Sources
- Al Jazeera: UN official warns of looming food crisis as Hormuz fertiliser plan stalls
- The Straits Times (Reuters): Failure to activate Hormuz fertilizer plan could trigger food crisis, UN official says
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