Tehran, Iran – Iranian economist Hossein Raghfar warned of a worsening hunger and malnutrition crisis in the country. He stated that approximately 10 percent of Iran’s population currently suffers from malnutrition. If the current situation persists, the percentage of the “poor population” could rise to 40 percent of the total population.
In an interview with Khabar Online, Raghfar explained that approximately seven million people in Iran do not obtain enough daily calories even if they spend their entire income on food. He indicated that this crisis is a result of a “discriminatory system in the distribution of resources and opportunities,” where “those close to power seize a disproportionate share of the national wealth.”
Raghvar added that poverty is increasing while a small, extremely wealthy class is forming with vast influence within the system. This has distorted the economic policymaking process. He compared the current situation to the famine that struck Iran during World War I, arguing that “today’s hunger is a result of stupidity, greed, and treachery, not of the conditions of war.”
The expert pointed out that the continued deterioration of living conditions could lead to strong social reactions. He warned against ignoring the suffering of citizens who “will not simply sit idly by and watch themselves go hungry.”
Official reports indicate that 35 percent of recorded deaths in Iran are due to malnutrition. The majority of the population suffers from a lack of essential vitamins and nutrients, coinciding with a decline in purchasing power and unprecedented rises in food prices.
