Geneva: UN Women has warned that disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and wider Middle East tensions could create additional pressure on food security, energy costs and household finances across countries affected by the regional crisis.

The organisation has highlighted the wider economic consequences of instability in one of the world’s most important maritime regions. The Strait of Hormuz is a major route for global energy supplies, meaning prolonged disruption can affect fuel, transportation and production costs far beyond the Middle East.

According to UN Women, rising energy and transport costs can have particularly serious consequences for women and girls because households facing higher expenses may reduce spending on food, healthcare and other essential needs.

The impact can extend through agricultural supply chains. Higher fuel and transportation costs can increase the expense of moving food and agricultural inputs, while disruptions to fertiliser supplies can place additional pressure on farmers and food producers.

Women can be particularly vulnerable to such economic shocks in communities where they have less access to income, financial resources and formal employment.

The organisation has also pointed to the broader relationship between conflict, displacement and food insecurity. When conflict disrupts livelihoods, supply routes and public services, women and children can face increased risks of hunger and economic hardship.

The Middle East crisis is therefore producing effects that extend beyond the immediate areas of conflict. Changes in shipping routes and energy markets can influence prices and availability of essential goods in countries that depend on imports.

Governments and humanitarian organisations are monitoring these developments as they seek to protect vulnerable populations from further economic pressure.

The situation also highlights the importance of maintaining humanitarian access and protecting essential infrastructure during periods of conflict. Disruptions to transportation and supply networks can make humanitarian operations more difficult and expensive.

UN Women has emphasised the importance of considering gender impacts when governments design responses to economic and humanitarian shocks. Women and girls can experience crises differently because of existing inequalities in employment, income, access to resources and social protection.

International organisations are therefore urging policymakers to consider food security, energy affordability and social protection alongside immediate security concerns.

For countries dependent on imported food, fuel or agricultural inputs, prolonged instability around major shipping routes could create additional economic challenges.

The latest warning highlights how a regional security crisis can rapidly become a global economic and humanitarian issue. If disruptions to energy and shipping routes persist, the effects could reach far beyond the Middle East, increasing pressure on food prices and household budgets and placing vulnerable women and girls at greater risk of food insecurity.