Tens of millions of people could face hunger and starvation if fertilisers are not soon allowed through the Strait of Hormuz, Jorge Moreira da Silva, Executive Director of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), has warned.

A severe shortage of fertilisers is threatening to worsen global hunger, with UN officials warning that disruptions, particularly in the Strait of Hormuz, could push 45 million more people into hunger and starvation by mid-2026.

“We have a few weeks ahead of us to prevent what will likely be a massive humanitarian crisis,” Moreira da Silva told a leading news agency.

The United Nations Secretary-General created a task force in March to develop a mechanism for allowing fertilisers and related raw materials, such as ammonia, sulphur, and urea, through the strategic waterway.

For weeks, Moreira da Silva has been trying to convince the parties involved in the conflict to permit the movement of essential raw materials through the Strait of Hormuz. He said he has met representatives from “more than 100 countries” to rally support for efforts aimed at ensuring the smooth supply of fertilisers.

According to him, a growing number of countries are backing the proposal, though the United States, Iran, and several Gulf nations — key fertiliser producers — are yet to fully support the initiative.

While the long-term goal remains a lasting peace agreement and unrestricted navigation through the strait, Moreira da Silva stressed that “the planting season can’t wait,” especially in African countries where sowing periods are due within weeks.

Global attention has largely focused on the economic consequences of disruptions to oil and gas trade, but the United Nations has repeatedly warned about the growing threat to global food security posed by the blockade.

“It’s just a matter of time. If we don’t stop the origin of the crisis soon, we will have to deal with the consequences through humanitarian aid,” he said.

Although food prices have not surged dramatically yet, Moreira da Silva noted a “massive increase” in fertiliser costs, which experts believe could reduce agricultural productivity and drive food prices sharply higher.

He added that allowing an average of just five vessels carrying fertilisers and related raw materials through the Strait of Hormuz each day could help avert a global humanitarian crisis for farmers and food-importing nations.

Srinagar, May 12: Police on Monday arrested two persons along with arms, ammunition and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) posters during a naka checking in Srinagar, officials said.

An official said, that a police team intercepted two persons on a bike near Baba Dem area of Srinagar during routine checking.

He said the duo was stopped and during the search, police recovered one pistol, three magazines, 21 live rounds, two mobile phones and 10 LeT posters from their possession.

“A case FIR No. 26/2025 under relevant sections of UAPA and Arms Act has been registered and further investigation has been taken up,” he said.

They have been identified as Faisal Ahmad Bhat of Malpora Habba Kadal and Faisal Ahmad Guroo of Rajouri Kadal—(KNO)

Washington, May 12: Pakistan, which is playing mediator to end the US-Iran war, allowed Iranian military aircraft to park on its airfields to shield them from American airstrikes, CBS News reported here quoting US officials.

The report also claimed that Iran had also parked its civilian aircraft in neighbouring Afghanistan to protect it from US airstrikes.

Reacting to the report, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham called for a complete re-evaluation of Pakistan’s role as a mediator to end the US-Iran war that broke out on February 28 and has been put on pause since April 8.

“If this reporting is accurate, it would require a complete reevaluation of the role Pakistan is playing as mediator between Iran, the United States and other parties,” Graham, the Senator from South Carolina, said in a post on X.

“Given some of the prior statements by Pakistani defense officials towards Israel, I would not be shocked if this were true,” Graham said.

The CBS report, quoting unnamed US officials, said that Iran has sent “multiple aircraft”, including a reconnaissance and intelligence plane, to Pakistan’s Nur Khan airbase soon after US President Donald Trump announced the ceasefire in April.

A senior Pakistan official rejected the claims involving Nur Khan Air Base, and told CBS News, that “Nur Khan base is right in the heart of (the) city, a large fleet of aircraft parked there can’t be hidden from (the) public eye”.

An Afghan civil aviation officer told CBS News that an Iranian civilian aircraft belonging to Mahan Air landed in Kabul shortly before the war started and remained parked after the closure of the Iranian airspace.

The same aircraft was moved to an airport in Herat near the Iranian border after Pakistan launched attacks on Afghanistan, the Afghan officials said, adding that the Mahan Air plane was the only Iranian aircraft in the country.

Pakistan’s reliance on China for military assistance has risen dramatically over the past decade. A Stockholm International Peace Research Institute study showed China supplied about 80 per cent of Pakistan’s major arms between 2020 and 2024, and Islamabad also has close economic ties with Beijing, the CBS News report said.

Islamabad has attempted to navigate both sides of the crisis – presenting itself to Washington as a stabilizing intermediary while avoiding steps that could alienate Tehran or China, Iran’s most powerful international backer, the CBS News report said.