By Anjali Sharma
UNITED NATIONS – UN chief Antonio Guterres on Tuesday warned that the conflict in the Middle East has triggered the most severe energy crisis in a generation as he highlighted how reliance on fossil fuels is exposing economies to instability and rising costs.
He noted that the West Asia conflict driving global energy market in shock wave as Strait of Hormuz tensions continues.
Guterres said in a video address to the Petersberg Climate Dialogue that “It makes one fact crystal clear: fossil fuels are not just wrecking our planet they are holding economies hostage”.
He stressed that clean energy offers a more secure path forward and called for accelerated investment, stronger infrastructure and scaled-up financing to support a global transition.
UN Personal Envoy for the Middle East conflict, Jean Arnault, is continuing his consultations in Egypt, Guterres stated.
UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric in New York told reporters in New York that Mr. Arnault held further discussions on Tuesday with Egyptian Foreign Ministry officials and representatives of the League of Arab States.
Head of the UN International Maritime Organization has highlighted the ongoing plight of seafarers stranded at sea with shipping at a near-standstill in the Strait of Hormuz.
IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez reiterated the stress and extreme fatigue impacting those on board.
Some 20,000 sailors and around 2,000 ships remain blocked in the strait, which is one of the world’s critical maritime chokepoints.
Before the war erupted on 28 February, around a quarter of global seaborne oil trade and significant volumes of natural gas and fertilizers transited through the waterway.
He noted that help lines had been set up by some countries and food provided by others, as he called for free wireless internet access so that families could stay in touch.
