UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned on Monday that the global food supply has become “collateral damage” in conflicts involving the U.S., Iran, and Israel; Russia and Ukraine; and the Yemeni Houthis and Saudi Arabia. He offered to facilitate the transit of fertilizer through the Strait of Hormuz which has been disrupted as a result of the US-Israel war on Iran. His proposal is based on expanding a mechanism Guterres established in March to facilitate the transport of commercial fertilizers and related raw materials for humanitarian purposes through the Strait of Hormuz, reported UN News. “The purpose is simple: to reduce immediate risks, support more orderly and predictable transit and help rebuild the confidence necessary for diplomacy and de-escalation,” he said at a news conference.
Headed by UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) Executive Director Jorge Moreira da Silva, the task force could be expanded to include other products, according to Guterres. He described it as a temporary measure until countries reestablish full navigational freedom, which he said is necessary to protect millions of vulnerable people around the world. “This mechanism is not a substitute for fully restoring navigational rights and freedoms, or for the political solutions needed to end these conflicts,” the Secretary-General said. “But it is a practical first step.”
