A senior United Nations official has warned of serious global consequences if the passage of chemical fertilizers through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important sea lanes, is not resumed soon.
In a statement to AFP, the head of the UN's special group for the prevention of humanitarian crises, Jorge Moreira da Silva, said that tens of millions of people could face hunger and food shortages if the blockade continues.
"We only have a few weeks to avert what could become a major humanitarian crisis," he declared.
According to him, about a third of the chemical fertilizers traded globally usually pass through this strategic waterway in the Persian Gulf. The disruption of supplies could directly affect agricultural production and the food chain in many countries around the world.
"We could be witnessing a crisis that will push another 45 million people towards hunger," Moreira da Silva stressed.
