Middle East Crisis and El Niño Threaten Food Security in Southeast Asia

‘Compound shock effect’: why the Middle East crisis and El Niño could spell disaster in south-east Asia

Millions of tonnes of the world’s food could be lost amid the uncertainties surrounding the strait of Hormuz and the dangers of a ‘Godzilla-strength’ El Niño When the US and Israel launched the war on Iran, south-east Asian nations were amongst the first and hardest hit, as the closure of the strait of Hormuz cut off supplies of energy and fertiliser. Governments across the region, heavily reliant on the waterway, raced to find ways to reduce their fuel use: in the Philippines, many governm...

By Natasha May in Bangkok