The Iran‑U.S. standoff over the Strait of Hormuz has driven global fuel prices to record highs, choking African imports of diesel, fertilizer and medicine. With supply routes strained, countries from Malawi to Ethiopia face empty pumps and soaring transport costs, forcing families to cut back on basic needs.

Taxi driver Francis Kazembe in Lilongwe now earns about 50,000 kwacha a day, down from previous levels, after spending hours queuing for scarce fuel. Malawi’s government confirmed it has exhausted its fuel reserves and is seeking emergency loans. In Zambia, diesel shortages forced grain mills to close, pushing women back to manual corn pounding.

Remittances, which supplied $100 billion to the continent last year, are drying up as Gulf‑based jobs disappear, tightening household budgets already stretched by food price spikes—black‑market diesel in Ethiopia has risen 10‑fold. Governments in Senegal, Gambia and Ghana are trimming travel expenses and cutting fuel taxes, but analysts warn the shock could deepen existing vulnerabilities and spark further social unrest.