Khaberni - A United Nations official observed on Thursday that the money the Pentagon has spent on the war against Iran could cover the entire requirement for the organization to provide life-saving support to more than 87 million people during 2026.
The U.S. Department of Defense has announced that it has spent up to now $25 billion on the war in the Middle East, while the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) launched an appeal to gather $23 billion for this year.
Tom Fletcher, Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs at the United Nations, said, "I know what we can do with $25 billion."
He added that what OCHA requested "represents less than one percent of what the world spends on arms and defense next year."
Fletcher explained that the war and resulting shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz have raised fuel and food prices by 20%.
He said, "This makes our work more difficult, but it also pushes more people into hunger," specifically referring to Somalia, where Fletcher was speaking to France-Presse.
He added, "We estimate that the number of hungry people is now twice what it was six months ago."
Globally, Fletcher mentioned that there are more than 300 million people in dire need of support, but he had to prioritize 87 million due to budget cuts, amid reductions by the United States and other countries in their contributions.
He clarified that without funding, "hundreds of millions of lives would be lost over the years."
