The United Nations World Food Programme has warned that an additional 45 million people could be driven into acute hunger if the war in the Middle East continues through June, pushing global food insecurity to unprecedented levels.

Carl Skau, Deputy Executive Director of the WFP, said the conflict is already sending shockwaves through global food and fuel markets, compounding an existing crisis that had left 319 million people acutely food insecure worldwide. The projected increase would push that figure to a record level, which he described as a “terrible prospect” for vulnerable populations across multiple continents.

The war, now weeks old, has spread beyond its initial flashpoints. Israel is battling Hezbollah along the Lebanese border, while Iran has launched retaliatory strikes against Israel and Gulf nations. The widening conflict is disrupting trade routes, raising insurance and transport costs, and driving up fuel prices, all of which feed directly into the cost of food.

Skau said the WFP had already been grappling with what he called a “perfect storm” even before the latest escalation. Extreme weather linked to climate change, entrenched conflicts in regions such as the Sahel, Sudan, and parts of the Horn of Africa, and localized famines had pushed humanitarian systems to the brink.

At the same time, funding for emergency food assistance has fallen sharply compared with previous years. The WFP has been forced to cut staff, reduce rations, and streamline operations in several countries, leaving millions with less support just as needs are rising.

“We are basically stretched to the limit,” Skau said, warning that the Middle East war is making operations “much, much more expensive.” Disrupted supply chains mean longer shipping routes, higher fuel consumption, and delays in delivering grain, cooking oil, and other staples to crisis zones.

Humanitarian analysts say the impact will be felt far beyond the Middle East. Many low-income, import-dependent countries in Africa and Asia are particularly exposed to price spikes in wheat, maize, and fuel. For families already spending most of their income on food, even modest increases can mean skipping meals, pulling children out of school, or resorting to child labour and early marriage.

The WFP is urging governments and donors to step up funding and press for de-escalation in the region, warning that failure to act could lock tens of millions more people into a cycle of hunger and instability.