Strait of Hormuz Closure Chokes Trade and Aid for Afghanistan

Strait of Hormuz closure chokes trade and aid for Afghanistan

Landlocked Afghanistan is struggling to access supplies as fighting with Pakistan and the Iran war disrupt key routes. Border closures with Pakistan last year forced Afghanistan to rely on Iran's port of Bandar Abbas. Now the Iran-U.S. war has stranded…

World Bank warns of rising hunger risk as food prices rise after Hormuz closure

Global food prices climbed five per cent in the two months following the near-total closure of the Strait of Hormuz after conflict erupted in the Middle East in late February 2026, according to a new World Bank analysis, raising fresh concerns over food security and inflation across vulnerable economies. The increase pushed global food prices […] The post World Bank warns of rising hunger risk as food prices rise after Hormuz closure appeared fi…

Focus on NZ strengths key amid Hormuz uncertainty

Reading Time: 2 minutes An Iran deal will likely not stick, dragging out global energy uncertainty, but New Zealand continues to be a dependable producer of natural whole foods, an advantage in a strained global environment. So says RaboResearch senior animal proteins analyst Jen Corkran.  In an update on the Strait of Hormuz, RaboResearch said it assumes an Iran deal won’t stick, with no normalisation in Hormuz expected for up to three months, …

Food Prices Jump Five Percent After Hormuz Closure

Global food prices surged 5 per cent in the two months following the near-total closure of the Strait of Hormuz in late February 2026, pushing costs to their highest level since January 2024. A newly released World Bank analysis reveals that the Middle East conflict triggered a sharp 10 per cent spike in the oils and meals segment, driven by climbing crude oil prices and expanded biofuel mandates in the United States, Indonesia, and Thailand. Wh…