Abuja: At a bustling food market in Nigeria's capital, Mummy Christiana breaks down in tears as she describes how a conflict thousands of kilometers away leaves her family struggling to eat. It's affecting me a lot, she says of the Middle East crisis. With my 5,000 naira (about US$3.70), I can hardly buy anything. According to EMM, the crisis has caused transport costs to soar in Somalia, where Mogadishu resident Aweys faces daily increases in food prices due to spiking petrol costs. Similarly, in Myanmar, the fallout from the Middle East crisis is reverberating across the country, causing costs to rise even for staples like rice, particularly in the most vulnerable areas. This added pressure comes as communities are still recovering from the devastating 2025 earthquake. Nearly two months into the Middle East crisis, the most significant ripple effects are felt by the world's poorest and most vulnerable, living continents away. Transport delays and disrupted supply chains are making it more time-consuming a nd costly to deliver essentials like energy, fertilizer, food, and medicines. The World Food Programme (WFP) projects that 45 million more people could tip into hunger if the conflict doesn't end by mid-year, with nearly two-thirds living in Africa and Asia, potentially creating the worst hunger crisis on record. The impact is clear, says Corinne Fleischer, WFP Director of Supply Chain. Delays and higher transport costs push up food prices, and families who spend 50 to 70 percent of their income on food are the first to go without. Every extra dollar needed to deliver assistance reduces how many people WFP can reach. Keeping humanitarian supply chains moving is not optional; they are lifelines for millions on the brink of hunger. The conflict's spillover is also affecting smallholder farmers who face fertilizer shortages and higher operational costs, leading to smaller harvests and profits. In Asia, WFP reports smallholders are choosing not to plant rice this season due to rising costs, worsening food insec urity. Relief groups like WFP are spending more time and money to deliver aid, even as humanitarian funding dries up. In East Africa, countries like Somalia are experiencing crippling effects on livestock exports, oil, and food prices. Supply chain disruptions force food and aid to travel longer routes, increasing costs and transport times. Moctar Aboubacar, WFP Head of Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping for East and Southern Africa, notes that while shelves won't be bare, people won't be able to afford what's on them. In Kenya, the crisis has shrunk Ramadan meat exports, and farmers struggle to secure fertilizer. According to news reports, people in Kenya's North Rift regions line up early for limited fertilizer supplies, says Bernard Omondi, WFP Supply Chain Officer. Higher prices also impact humanitarian missions and operations. In West and Central Africa, the crisis's fallout is beginning to be felt. If it continues, it could tip 10.4 million more people into acute hunger. Koffi Akakpo, WFP's Regional Research and Assessment Advisor, notes that a 10 percent rise in food basket prices would force households to spend over 90 percent of their budgets on food, pushing many back into food insecurity. In Asia, countries heavily reliant on Middle Eastern energy imports, like Myanmar, are seeing soaring prices for fuel and basic commodities. Takahiro Utsumi, head of WFP's Research, Assessment and Monitoring Unit in Myanmar, reports a significant rise in the cost of living. Fuel shortages lead to rationing and long queues, affecting farmers preparing for monsoon planting. WFP is adapting its support strategies to address these challenges, including planning for two-month distributions, sourcing food closer to those in need, and switching to cash-based assistance to reduce costs. However, without increased donor funding, WFP's response will face growing strain amid immense needs. If the Middle East conflict continues, Utsumi fears it will add to the misery of millions already enduring multiple crises, pushing mor e lives over the brink.