Strait of Hormuz: Time running out to avert global food security crisis, FAO warns - Blueprint Newspapers Limited

• A geopolitical crisis in the Middle East that began on February 28 has evolved into a global food security emergency, causing rising hunger in Africa and medical shortages in Afghanistan. • Disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, which previously handled roughly 20% of global oil shipments, have spiked crude oil prices and increased transport and supply chain costs.

• The World Economic Forum’s (WEF) May Chief Economists’ Outlook warns that disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and Middle East conflicts are severely damaging global economic prospects. • The report highlights a period of heightened uncertainty driven by geopolitical tensions, persistent inflationary pressures, and the ongoing restructuring of global supply chains.

• Qatar has formally condemned Iranian attacks on civilian targets in Bahrain and Kuwait, labeling the actions a "grave violation" of national sovereignty. • The State asserts that these strikes breach the 1949 Geneva Conventions and international humanitarian law, specifically the principles prohibiting indiscriminate attacks on civilians.

• J. Ricardo Martins argues that the "Geneva fiasco" demonstrates the danger of replacing professional diplomats with business-oriented dealmakers in international relations. • The author contends that these dealmakers mistakenly viewed compromise as weakness, which escalated a negotiable crisis into an active conflict with Iran.

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