Hormuz and Red Sea disruption squeezes food supplies, UN warns

Continuing disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and crucial Red Sea routes are driving up freight and fuel costs, putting further pressure on food supply chains – particularly in developing countries – UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) warns. Fertilizer prices have also swung sharply ahead of planting seasons. Higher costs could cut harvests, especially where farmers can’t afford enough fertilizer. In an interview with UN News’ Nathalie Minard, UNCTAD’s agriculture and commodities chief, Rodrigo Cárcamo, warns that fertilizer price volatility, combined with an extreme El Niño weather pattern, could push yields down further and deepen hunger worldwide.

With winter rains already beginning in Gaza, hundreds of thousands of displaced people face the prospect of flooding in overcrowded camps and makeshift shelters. Families are improvising with whatever materials they can find, as humanitarian agencies on the ground warn that available supplies are woefully inadequate. Speaking to UN News’ Ezzat El-Ferri from Amman, Karl Baker, regional crisis coordinator for the Gaza response with the UN migration agency (IOM), said that helping families prepare for winter is only part of the challenge ahead.

Kenya has recorded its second case of Ebola – a family member of the first person in the country to die from the disease. The good news is that the man was already under quarantine and is receiving treatment, having been identified through contact tracing. That’s according to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) representative to Kenya, Dr. Neema Rusibamayila Kimambo, who spoke to UN News’s Dianne Penn in Nairobi.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is supporting the Kenyan Government to strengthen measures to control any potential outbreak, following the country’s first case and death from the rare but often fatal disease. WHO Representative in Kenya, Dr. Neema Rusibamayila Kimambo, says no other infections have been recorded since the case was confirmed on Tuesday. She told UN News’s Alban Mendes de Leon in Nairobi that health authorities are making every effort to prevent the virus spreading in the community.

Syria is building new State institutions and pushing its political transition forward, but recovery, inclusive representation and transitional justice remain major hurdles, according to the UN Deputy Special Envoy for Syria. Speaking to UN News’ Khaled Haridy during the General Assembly’s High-Level Week, Claudio Cordone said a People’s Assembly is now in place, with an electoral commission and permanent constitution in preparation. In a call for greater international support, he said around four million Syrians have returned home – but the economy and infrastructure must be rebuilt, with most still living below the poverty line.

Every day, more than a billion meals are thrown away, and this rotting food produces the greenhouse gas methane which is responsible for around a third of global emissions overall. The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) warns that food waste and loss threaten food security, forests and sustainable agrifood systems in a world where millions are still going hungry. UN News’s Dianne Penn in Nairobi spoke to Michael Muratha, a Project Manager at UNEP – which is headquartered in the Kenyan capital – who makes the case for preventing and reducing food loss to benefit farmers, families, vulnerable communities and the planet.

The full-scale Russian invasion is placing immense pressure on healthcare across Ukraine, limiting people’s access to essential services and damaging medical facilities. That’s according to Halyna Skipalska, Executive Director of the Ukrainian Foundation for Public Health, which receives support from the UN humanitarian affairs office, OCHA. Ms. Skipalska was at Headquarters this week and spoke to UN News’s Liudmila Blagonravova about the most urgent health needs, support for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence and concerns around continued attacks on energy infrastructure as winter approaches.

The UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for Sudan, Pekka Haavisto, says intensified diplomatic efforts are offering cautious grounds for hope, despite the continued fighting between rival militaries – and complexity of the brutal conflict. Speaking to UN News on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, Mr. Haavisto said while military leaders in Khartoum and senior RSF militia are not yet ready to sit together, even small “baby steps” through UN shuttle diplomacy are significant at this stage. Speaking to Abdelmonem Makki, Mr. Haavisto insisted that the Sudanese people “are not alone” while warning that fighting and attacks on humanitarian convoys and workers continue to obstruct the delivery of crucial aid.

Food insecurity in Sudan could worsen sharply in the coming months as conflict and displacement are compounded by the effects of the El Niño weather pattern, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned on Friday. With rainfall forecast to decline by up to 40 per cent in parts of the country, FAO is urging donors to fund proven measures that can protect livelihoods and boost food production – despite the ongoing war between rival militaries. Rein Paulsen, Director of FAO’s Office of Emergencies and Resilience, spoke to UN News’s Ezzat El-Ferri following his visit to Khartoum, White Nile and Sennar states, where he met farmers, pastoralists and fishing communities.

As artificial intelligence rapidly reshapes society, actor and UN Global Advocate for Human-centric Digital Governance Joseph Gordon-Levitt is calling for stronger rules to ensure the technology remains accountable to people. Mr. Gordon-Levitt’s role is affiliated with the UN Internet Governance Forum (IGF) / UN DESA, which brings together diverse voices to help shape a more inclusive and human-centred digital future. In an interview with UN News, Mr. Gordon-Levitt argued that AI should be “governed by people and for people.” His comments come as the global debate on AI guardrails moved to UN Headquarters this week, with many world leaders citing concerns from the podium. Speaking to UN News’s Charlotte Dawson, he said one of his biggest concerns is the growing influence of AI on children, particularly its potential effects on attention and human relationships.