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  "path": "/partner/iran-war-30-million-poverty",
  "publishedAt": "2026-04-29T14:57:50.000Z",
  "site": "https://nukta.com",
  "tags": [
    "US-Israeli war on Iran",
    "closure of the Strait of Hormuz",
    "high energy costs"
  ],
  "textContent": "\n\n\n\nThe US-Israeli war on Iran could push more than 30 million people into poverty, the head of the UN Development Program warned on Wednesday in Paris. UNDP chief Alexander De Croo told _AFP_ that soaring energy and fertilizer prices, driven by the conflict, are reversing decades of development progress across 160 countries.\n\n#### How is the Iran war pushing millions into poverty?\n\nThe war has disrupted global energy and food supply chains. It forced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas flows. Gulf nations are also key suppliers of oil products and fertilizer feedstocks, so disruptions there are driving up food production costs worldwide.\n\n#### What did the UNDP study find about the war's impact?\n\nDe Croo said the UNDP conducted a study after six weeks of conflict. It found that even if the war had ended at that point, 32 million people across 160 countries would be pushed into precarity. \"It took decades to build stable societies, to develop local economies, and it took only several weeks of war to destroy that,\" he said.\n\n#### Which countries are most affected by the Iran war's economic fallout?\n\nThe UNDP identified Sub-Saharan Africa as among the hardest-hit regions. Certain Asian countries, including Bangladesh and Cambodia, face severe strain from high energy costs and fertilizer shortages. Developing island nations are also particularly vulnerable to the knock-on effects of the conflict.\n\nCountries in Africa and Asia are already responding with emergency measures. These include fuel rationing, shorter working weeks to cut consumption, and reduced fuel taxes to ease the burden on consumers. De Croo also warned of political instability and falling remittances, as many workers in Gulf countries send money home to families in poorer nations.\n\n#### How much money does the UNDP say is needed to prevent a poverty crisis?\n\nThe UNDP estimates that around $6 billion in subsidies is needed to protect the most vulnerable from high food and energy prices. De Croo noted that figure is significant but put it in context: the war costs approximately $9 billion per week. He said discussions on funding are already underway within the IMF and World Bank.\n\n#### Why is the timing of this crisis particularly difficult for developing nations?\n\nThe crisis has arrived as development aid stands at a historic low. Aid dropped by more than 23 percent last year, largely due to cuts from major donors led by the United States. That reduction leaves fewer resources available to absorb the shock of rising prices and disrupted supply chains for the world's poorest populations.",
  "title": "Iran war could push 30 million people into poverty, UN warns"
}