US-Israeli war on Iran could push 32 million into poverty – UN

The US-Israeli war against Iran could push up to 32 million people into poverty worldwide, despite the current tentative ceasefire, as global economic shocks ripple far beyond the conflict zone, according to a new UN report. In a report released on Monday, the UN Development Program said the impact could span 162 countries, with the heaviest burden falling on low-income and import-dependent economies. It also warned of “significant longer-term harm to poorer countries far removed from the fighting.” UN Under-Secretary-General Alexander De Croo said the war, which is in its sixth week, “is development in reverse.” “Conflict can undo in weeks what countries have built over years,” he explained. “The shock of the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East is not limited to the countries directly affected, but falls disproportionately on those with the least fiscal room to absorb higher energy and food prices.” The report says those most vulnerable to the fallout are countries in ...