Reduced remittances from the Middle East are squeezing household incomes across East Africa. Egypt and the Horn of Africa face additional exposure from proximity to an escalating conflict (Dispatches 9/3/26, Energy price spike leaves African states facing anxious wait for Middle East war to calm). One effect of the Gulf war could be the redirection of the Gulf Cooperation Council states’ attention to their own shores. The WFP projects a 21% increase in food-insecure people in West and Central Africa and 17% in East and Southern Africa due to the war. Most travellers from China to Africa connect through Gulf hubs en route to East Africa.

Source: The North Africa Journal March 20, 2026 00:56 UTC