An interesting interview from Jorge Moreira da Silva on the work being led by UNOPS to address disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. What strikes me is how a challenge that may appear regional can have global consequences. The Strait is not only a critical energy corridor, but also a key route for fertilizers and agricultural inputs that support food production worldwide. When these supply chains are disrupted, the effects are often felt far beyond the Gulf, particularly in vulnerable and import-dependent countries. It is a powerful reminder that food security, trade, development, and peace are deeply interconnected, and why preventive action matters. Kudos to UNOPS and its partners for taking forward this important work. Sonja Leighton-Kone Rahul Malhotra

"Even when crises are global, developing countries are disproportionately affected." Speaking to TNN on the sidelines of the IMF and World Bank Annual Meetings, UNOPS Executive Director and coordinator of the UN Strait of Hormuz Task Force, Jorge Moreira da Silva, highlighted how overlapping crises, from climate impacts to disruptions in key shipping routes, are hitting the most vulnerable hardest. With one-third of the world's fertilizer previously transiting through the Strait of Hormuz, the disruptions threaten food security and could push millions of people into extreme poverty Building on our experience in Yemen and Gaza, a UN mechanism can help keep essential goods moving. 🎥 Watch his full interview 👇

Urban Poor: Opportunity May Be Limited, but Determination Is Not What stayed with me most from our recent field mission to Khulna was the passion of women and men determined to build better lives for their families and contribute to their communities. Despite growing climate pressures and limited economic opportunities, their hard work, resilience and entrepreneurial spirit made me proud of what we can achieve as a nation. They are not simply coping with adversity—they are determined to thrive and prosper. Together with UNDP Bangladesh Resident Representative Stephen Rodrigues and colleagues, we met women, men, young people and community volunteers whose energy and confidence were truly encouraging. With financial support from CIDCA, we provided climate-affected beneficiaries with computers, sewing machines, and food carts—practical tools to help transform skills and ambition into sustainable livelihoods while strengthening young people’s confidence in their own potential. A side visit to an urban-poor community was equally inspiring. The community previously received support under the National Urban Poverty Reduction Programme (NUPRP), funded by the DFID—now FCDO. Although the project support closed several years ago, community members continue to manage and nurture its legacy, including community water-supply systems, drainage infrastructure and inclusive sanitation facilities for women, men, children and persons with disabilities. Their continued ownership, alongside the steady progress of local micro-entrepreneurs, reminds us that development's true value lies not only in what a project delivers during its lifetime, but also in what communities sustain, strengthen, and use to inspire others to replicate long after the project ends. Happy and proud to be part of this meaningful work. Stephen Rodriques Yugesh Pradhanang Anowarul Haq

For communities on the frontlines of the climate crisis, adaptation means protecting both lives and livelihoods. In Khulna, UNDP Bangladesh is supporting climate-affected communities to build resilient livelihood opportunities, with financial support from China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA). Read more: https://lnkd.in/gr9Rv5-d

My new article: How Can Yemen Turn Food Aid into an Economy That Produces Life? An economic vision for transforming part of humanitarian spending into investment in local production, strengthening food security, and building a more sustainable Yemeni economy. https://lnkd.in/gRQhUgyK

Pakistan has recorded the highest hunger level in South Asia in the 2026 Global Hunger Index, with economic instability, rising food prices and climate-related shocks worsening food insecurity, according to a report. The report, published on Wednesday under the theme “No Security Without Food Security”, was jointly prepared by Welthungerhilfe, the Institute for International Law of Peace and Armed Conflict at Ruhr University Bochum and Swiss organisation Helvetas. It found that progress in reducing hunger across South Asia has largely stalled, with conditions in Pakistan and Afghanistan worsening since 2018.

Read a thought leadership article in today's Sunday Times on the possible macro impact of the El Nino weather phenomenon on South Africa. Thabiso Rulashe, Santam's Executive Head of Strategy and Investor Relations contend that the impact of El Nino will be felt by all South Africans. "For South Africa, specifically, climate shocks cannot be viewed purely as environmental events when their effects reach directly into food security, livelihoods and economic growth," says Rulashe. #SantamThisisFreedom #SantamThoughtLeadership #SantamintheNews

𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐧 REWARD Gambia is working to increase rice production, improve productivity and commercialisation, strengthen climate resilience, enhance value addition and create more opportunities across the rice value chain. These efforts contribute to the Programme’s broader goal of advancing rice self-sufficiency in The Gambia. #REWARDGambia #RiceProduction #RiceValueChain #FoodSecurity #ClimateResilience #TheGambia African Development Bank Group Africa Rice Center

WORLD IN FOCUS The other chokepoint is becoming a front line. For much of this year, the Strait of Hormuz has been the central geographic constraint on Gulf energy exports. That has made alternative routes more valuable — including Saudi Arabia’s ability to move crude west toward the Red Sea. But those routes eventually converge on another narrow passage: Bab el-Mandeb, at the southern entrance to the Red Sea. Now renewed fighting in Yemen is intensifying around that corridor. The lesson is larger than Yemen. Global trade often depends on a surprisingly small number of geographic bottlenecks. When one becomes unreliable, traffic shifts elsewhere. That can increase the strategic value — and vulnerability — of the next route in the system. For governments, diversification can reduce one risk without eliminating the underlying dependence on geography. For markets, a conflict thousands of miles from consumers can still affect shipping, insurance, energy and supply chains. And for Yemenis, the consequences are immediate: more than 200,000 people have already been displaced in the latest escalation. Chokepoints look like geography on a map. In a crisis, they become political power.

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