ANTALYA, Turkey, Nov 14, 2026 (Net) – Iran and the United States should
“immediately” allow fertiliser shipments through the Strait of Hormuz to ease
the crisis in some of the most vulnerable countries, a senior UN official
said Saturday.
Jorge Moreira da Silva, head of the UN Office for Project Services, told the
COP31 climate talks in the Turkish resort city of Antalya that the lack of
fertilisers could push millions into poverty.
The Iranian blockade of the vital waterway, which started after the joint US-
Israeli attack against Iran in late February, has choked shipping in the
region and beyond. The US blockade of Iranian ports has further complicated
matters.
While Iran and the United States are still trying to negotiate an end to the
conflict, Moreira da Silva said he had the same message for both countries.
“They should continue their negotiations about the comprehensive deal — but
that deal should not avoid an immediate, exceptional, limited, and time-bound
solution for the fertilisers,” he said.
“Basically what we need is five vessels a day with fertilisers,” he added.
– Millions at risk –
Moreira da Silva heads up the UN task force dedicated to facilitating the
safe passage of fertilisers during the crisis.
Before the conflict, a third of the world’s fertilisers passed through the
Strait of Hormuz, and since the blockades, their prices had risen by 30
percent, he said.
“But what I think is not sufficiently recognized is the disproportionate
impact on the most vulnerable countries,” he added.
Sudan’s finance minister recently told him that the price of food there had
doubled in six months, he added. In Nepal, they had told him that farmers
could no longer afford to buy fertilisers.
“So it’s very important that we are aware that countries such as Mozambique,
Kenya, Sudan, Somalia, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka are facing very
significant impact.”
The effects of this shortage could be catastrophic, he warned.
“If we continue missing the planting seasons in different parts of the world
we may have 45 million people facing severe and acute food insecurity,” he
said.
“We may have 30 million people being forced into poverty.”
The UN had a system ready to get fertiliser shipments moving within seven to
10 days, he said.
