In northern Malawi, Steny Williams Nsamba struggles to buy fertilizer for his small farm, which grows maize, groundnuts and tobacco. The war in Iran has raised the cost of living, and he warns that “catastrophically low yields” are inevitable if transport disruptions continue into Malawi’s growing season in November.
“The prices of many goods will rise and life will become untenable,” he told CNN.
Nsamba’s plight is echoed across Africa, where soaring fuel prices and disrupted trade routes have hit economies hard due to fertilizer shortages during the crucial planting season.
A two-week ceasefire announced between the United States and Iran offers hope, but even if it lasts, few expect a quick return to normalcy. Aliko Dangote, the owner of Africa’s largest oil refinery in Nigeria, told CNN last month that it could take months for oil prices to stabilize.
No country is immune from the impact of the Iran war, but African countries that rely heavily on imports of fuel, food, and fertilizer are particularly vulnerable.
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