India and other developing countries tell the UN that conflicts are disrupting energy, food, trade and supply chains far beyond battle zones, with vulnerable economies bearing much of the economic burden.
United Nations, Sept 2026 : India and several developing countries have warned the United Nations that the economic consequences of wars are spreading far beyond the countries directly involved, driving up food and energy costs, disrupting trade and placing additional pressure on vulnerable economies.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said countries far removed from conflict zones were increasingly being affected by disruptions to food, fuel, fertiliser, finance and commerce. “Those most impacted often have the least say,” he told the UN General Assembly.
Jaishankar said the failure to maintain peace was weakening security, threatening economic progress and slowing development, with the effects particularly severe across the Global South. India has called for restraint and de-escalation in ongoing conflicts, while stressing the need to keep energy and trade routes open and protect commercial shipping and seafarers.
His concerns about the wider economic effects of conflict were echoed by leaders from island nations and developing economies during the General Debate. Their interventions highlighted how disruptions to international shipping and commodity markets can quickly translate into higher domestic prices, even when conflicts are geographically distant.
Maldives Vice President Hussain Mohamed Latheef said insecurity was increasingly travelling through sea lanes, supply chains, financial markets and digital networks. He warned that disruption of maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz was raising fuel prices and affecting food supplies and air travel.
For the Maldives, he said, the consequences extended to tourism and public finances because of the country's dependence on imports and international travel. Latheef also stressed that competition among major powers in the Indian Ocean should not restrict the choices available to smaller states, arguing that the region must remain open to trade and economic activity.
The vulnerability of developing economies to such shocks has also been documented by the UN. UN analysis has found that disruption around the Strait of Hormuz has affected energy, food and industrial supply chains, with higher costs for fuel and essential inputs such as fertilisers.
Jaishankar described the pressures facing developing countries as a “4F crisis” involving food, fuel, fertiliser and finance. He said shortages, supply disruptions and restrictions on market access could undermine the ability of developing countries to industrialise and achieve development goals.
The Indian minister also warned of what he described as the “weaponisation of everything”, ranging from finance and market access to supply chains and technology. Countries, he said, were responding by reducing risks and diversifying their economic relationships.
India has particularly emphasised the importance of stable energy supplies and uninterrupted movement of food and other essential commodities. Jaishankar said New Delhi remained concerned about the war in Ukraine as well as continuing hostilities in the Gulf, calling for restraint, de-escalation and protection of commercial shipping.
The broader argument was that conflicts could no longer be treated as isolated regional events. Higher shipping, insurance, energy and transportation costs can pass through international supply chains and eventually affect consumers and businesses far from the battlefield.
Latheef made a similar point in his UN address, saying a crisis that does not reach a country's shores can nevertheless become a crisis at home. The Maldives' experience, he said, demonstrated how disruption of major maritime routes could affect fuel, food, aviation, tourism and government finances.
Jaishankar has also called for stronger cooperation among Global South countries to address supply-chain, finance and connectivity bottlenecks. At a separate UN meeting, he argued that developing countries were often at the “front row” of global crises but had limited influence over international decision-making.
The economic dimension of conflict has therefore emerged as a major concern during this year's UN General Assembly, with India and other developing countries pressing for greater stability in global markets, secure trade routes and stronger international cooperation.
For countries heavily dependent on imported energy, food, fertilisers and other commodities, the message from the General Debate was clear: the economic consequences of war do not stop at national borders and can persist long after immediate fighting subsides.
