Africa: Middle East Escalation Could Leave 11.7 Million More Women and Girls Facing Food Insecurity By End-2026

What the report says

UN Women has warned that continued escalation in the Middle East, including disruption around the Strait of Hormuz, could deepen food insecurity for women and girls by the end of 2026. In a new analysis cited by AllAfrica from Inter Press Service, the agency says higher energy, fertilizer and transport costs are pushing up food prices and putting added pressure on household budgets and livelihoods across 28 countries.

The report says an extra 11.7 million women and girls may face food insecurity by the end of the year, out of a projected 22 million additional people overall. UN Women describes these as scenario-based estimates rather than firm forecasts. The analysis also notes that 208 million women and girls in the countries studied were already food insecure or undernourished.

According to the report, the impact would be especially acute in places already facing conflict, economic strain or overlapping vulnerabilities, including South Sudan, Sudan, Haiti, Yemen, Palestine and Lebanon. UN Women highlights that women are often more exposed because they are more likely to work in insecure jobs, have less access to financial services, and carry more responsibility for unpaid care work.

The agency is urging a coordinated response that combines food and cash aid with nutrition, protection, livelihoods and agricultural support, while improving women’s access to land, credit and other productive assets. It also called for de-escalation and diplomatic solutions to reduce wider humanitarian risks.