The UN food agency has warned that the Iran conflict is pushing millions more people into hunger, with rising food and fuel prices worsening conditions in already fragile countries, reports AP.

The World Food Programme (WFP) said new analysis shows an additional 2.5 million people in Somalia, 2.3 million in Afghanistan and 1.3 million in Sri Lanka are now struggling to afford basic food needs.

The agency had earlier estimated that up to 45 million more people could fall into food insecurity by the end of June, adding to the 318 million already facing acute hunger worldwide.

“We remain by that prognosis,” said Carl Skau, speaking to UN reporters. 

He said food insecurity is closely tied to energy prices, especially in poorer countries where families already spend most of their income on food.

The WFP said in a report released Thursday that the Middle East crisis is creating wider global “spillover effects,” driving up fuel and food costs and disrupting trade routes.

It warned that these pressures are likely to worsen in the coming months, even if the situation in the Middle East stabilizes.

The agency also pointed to other hunger hotspots, including Sudan, Gaza, southern Lebanon, Yemen and Haiti.

The Rome-based organisation said it has been forced to reduce food assistance in several countries due to funding shortages, and urged donors to increase support urgently, particularly for Somalia and Afghanistan, warning that the humanitarian consequences could be severe if aid does not increase

MSH

At least 34 people, including two babies were killed when a contraband fuel depot exploded into flames in southern Benin near the border with Nigeria on Saturday.

According to Beninese Interior Minister Alassane Seidou, “a serious fire occurred in the town of Seme Podji. Another 20 people were seriously wounded in the incident.”

"I can't really give you the cause of the fire, but there is a large gasoline warehouse here and cars, tricycles and motorcycles come from morning to evening,” he added.

Nigeria is a main oil and gas producer where fuel smuggling is very common along its borders, particularly when the government maintains a subsidy to keep fuel prices low.

The majority of the victims were burnt and they could not be not be identified.

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