Based on a study released by UN Women, escalating conflict in the Middle East alongside blockages in the Strait of Hormuz will inflate food costs, potentially leaving an extra 11.7 million women and girls could face food insecurity by the close of 2026.
Strait Disruptions Drive Up Costs
Food expenses are rising because blockages along the Strait of Hormuz are escalating the costs associated with energy, transport, and fertilizer. According to UN Women, these rising costs combined with potential income and livelihood losses could make food harder to afford. Out of the 28 evaluated nations, the organization’s data indicates that 53 per cent of the 22 million newly vulnerable people facing food insecurity by the end of the year are female. An additional 208 million women and girls across these same nations were already suffering from undernourishment or lack of reliable food access prior to this.
UN Women Deputy Executive Director Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda underscored the unequal toll of resource scarcity during economic shocks. “We know, as a matter of fact, that when food becomes scarce, women eat less and last,” Gumbonzvanda said. “They often shift to less nutritious diets or skip meals altogether to prioritize the needs of others. Gender inequalities dictate who has access to food and the resources to obtain it. Therefore, investing in women and girls is a sure way of ensuring the well-being of families and communities.” Existing inequalities in employment and access to financial services leave many women with fewer resources to absorb these shocks.
Vulnerability Across Populations
More populous countries were found to have the largest numbers of women and girls who could face food insecurity. However, countries such as South Sudan, Sudan, Haiti, Yemen and Palestine face more concentrated risks. In South Sudan, the additional number of women and girls who could face food insecurity represents around 14 per cent – or one in seven – of the South Sudanese female population – the highest proportion across the countries analyzed. In Lebanon, the additional number of women and girls who could face food insecurity represents nearly 4 per cent of the Lebanese female population.
In many countries, women and girls make up a higher proportion of people who could face food insecurity. The UN Women report notes that women and girls make up 60 per cent of people who could face food insecurity in Afghanistan; more than 57 per cent in Yemen; and nearly 56 per cent in Sudan. Employment also affects food security. In Egypt, Iraq, Palestine, Sudan and Syria, around 80 per cent of women are outside the labour force. In Afghanistan and Yemen, this rises to around 95 per cent. Furthermore, among employed women, more than 80 per cent are in vulnerable employment in Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Haiti, Mali and South Sudan.
Financial Exclusion Amplifies Household Crises
Access to financial services could provide a buffer, but many women lack access to these services. In Iraq, Lebanon, Pakistan and Yemen, fewer than one in five women owns a bank or mobile money account. This can limit women’s ability to save, receive remittances or cash assistance, or borrow safely when prices rise or incomes fall, increasing reliance on informal lenders, relatives or other household members and potentially putting their safety and protection at risk.
To mitigate the crisis, UN Women calls for an integrated response that combines food and cash assistance with nutrition, protection, livelihoods and agricultural support, while ensuring women can access land, credit, services and other productive assets. It also urges 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. UN Women joins the calls for de-escalation and respect for international law and echoes the Secretary-General’s call to all concerned parties to work towards diplomatic solutions that advance regional and international peace and security.
