FAO Economist Says Gaza Conflict Has Limited Impact on Global Food Security

Maximo Torero, chief economist at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, emphasized that the ongoing war in Gaza has not substantially altered the worldwide hunger statistics presented in the 2025 report. He clarified that the UN’s metrics focus on chronic under‑nutrition rather than short‑term food shortages caused by conflicts or natural disasters. While food supplies into Gaza have improved enough to stabilise the immediate situation, the conflict has devastated agricultural infrastructure, and full recovery of crop production could take many years. Torero called for concerted international effort to rebuild farms and restore food systems in the region.