Refinitiv reports a UN official leading a UN fertilizer‑shipping initiative
warned that if the US and Iran do not agree within weeks on a UN‑backed plan to
move fertilizer through the Strait of Hormuz, parts of Asia and Africa could
face a food‑security crisis. The UN created a working group in March and has
drafted a mechanism that remains unimplemented. The proposal would set up a UN
coordination center in Oman to register vessels and coordinate safe transit; UN
monitors would verify cargoes with Gulf port authorities. The UN deputy
secretary‑general said five vessels per day would be sufficient to sustain
supplies to needy countries; vessels would be tracked in transit and subject to
additional inspections if concerns arise.
