{"id":521802,"date":"2026-03-13T20:23:30","date_gmt":"2026-03-13T20:23:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/521802\/"},"modified":"2026-03-13T20:23:30","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T20:23:30","slug":"a-war-waged-by-the-worlds-wealthiest-nation-is-hitting-the-wallets-of-those-who-can-least-afford-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/521802\/","title":{"rendered":"A war waged by the world\u2019s wealthiest nation is hitting the wallets of those who can least afford it"},"content":{"rendered":"

Every day, Shakil Khan weaves his bike through the relentless traffic of Dhaka, delivering items and ferrying passengers across the city. However, these days he\u2019s waiting hours in long queues at gas pumps to fill his bike within a government cap on fuel purchases.<\/p>\n

Khan is one of tens of millions of people in Bangladesh suffering oil and gas shortages as the joint US-Israeli military offensive against Iran hits fuel supplies worldwide.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause of the oil shortage, my daily income is reduced,\u201d said Khan, as a queue of motorcyclists stretched out behind him, snaking around the block in the Bangladeshi capital.<\/p>\n

Thousands of miles away, one of the world\u2019s most critical energy arteries \u2013 the Strait of Hormuz \u2013 has also come to a virtual standstill as missiles and drones crisscross the Persian Gulf and Iran steps up its attacks on ships.<\/p>\n

Like many countries across Asia, Bangladesh relies on foreign oil and gas imports \u2013 and suggestions that supplies may run low have prompted new policies from governments across the region.<\/p>\n

As the world\u2019s wealthiest nation leads a costly war \u2013 one think tank estimated the US is burning through $890 million a day<\/a> \u2013 those who are least able to afford it are feeling the most acute and immediate impact on their wallets.<\/p>\n

\"People<\/p>\n

People gather in front of an LPG agency to have their cylinders refilled, amid supply disruptions following the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Chennai, India, on March 11, 2026. – Riya Mariyam R\/Reuters<\/p>\n

Millions of people are being told to turn down air conditioning, switch off lights, avoid travel for meetings, and perhaps even work from home to save energy.<\/p>\n

In a historic move on Wednesday<\/a>, member countries of the International Energy Agency unanimously agreed to release 400 million barrels of oil \u2013 the largest release of emergency stockpiles ever recorded.<\/p>\n

The United Nations has warned of catastrophic consequences if the disruption drags on.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe resulting ripple effects go far beyond the region, affecting energy markets, maritime transport and global supply chains,\u201d it said in a report on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

South Asia feeling the crunch\"A<\/p>\n

A man loads LPG cylinders onto a cart at a warehouse amid supply disruptions following the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Mumbai, India, on March 11, 2026. – Francis Mascarenhas\/Reuters<\/p>\n

The escalating conflict in the Middle East is compounding damage to an already uncertain global economy inflicted from a year of US-imposed tariffs and relentless trade disruptions.<\/p>\n

South Asia, in particular, is in an extremely vulnerable position given its heavy reliance on oil and gas imports from the Middle East.<\/p>\n

In the northern Indian city of Gorakhpur, Ajay Kumar joined a queue of people waiting to fill their gas cylinder outside a distribution center at 3 a.m.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis situation has been here for the last 10 days,\u201d he told local news agency ANI. \u201cIf we do not come at the centers before time, half of us will leave (empty-handed).\u201d<\/p>\n

India, the world\u2019s most populous nation, is one of the top global importers liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), which residents use for everything from cooking to powering many vehicles.<\/p>\n

Ravi, who only gave his first name, told ANI people are facing \u201ca lot of difficulties\u201d because of the shortages. \u201cWe had to cook food on a fire stove yesterday,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A man sits on an empty LPG cylinder as he waits outside a gas agency amid supply disruptions following the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Noida, India, on March 11, 2026. – Bhawika Chhabra\/Reuters<\/p>\n

According to analytics firm Kpler, India imports roughly 85% of its LPG and sources about 50% of its liquified natural gas (LNG) \u2013 crucial for fertilizers, electricity, and transport \u2013 from the Middle East.<\/p>\n

Scrambling to contain the fallout, India\u2019s Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas ordered refineries earlier this week to boost LPG output strictly for domestic consumption. The government also invoked emergency powers to divert fuel away from industrial users to keep households supplied.<\/p>\n

Neighboring Pakistan has also announced extreme austerity measures, including school closures and work-from-home policies. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said government offices would also not be allowed to buy new furniture and air conditioners.<\/p>\n

Elsewhere in the region<\/p>\n

The fallout has also been felt in South Korea, which imposed its first fuel price cap in almost 30 years \u2013 a big step given its status as a major world economy; a leading global exporter and a key member of the G20.<\/p>\n

President Lee Jae Myung also advised his government to crack down on oil refinery companies and gas stations to prevent price-gouging while making efforts to secure supply ships that do not pass through the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n

Thailand has ordered government workers to save energy by suspending overseas trips and working from home, urging people not to panic buy.<\/p>\n

\"Motorists<\/p>\n

Motorists queue to pump gasoline into their vehicle and oil containers at a gas station in Hanoi, Vietnam, on March 10, 2026. – Nhac Nguyen\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

And the Philippines said it is rolling out a four-day work week for some government officers and asking them to set their air conditioning no lower than 24 degrees Celsius (75 degrees Fahrenheit).<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is an urgent need to adopt strict energy conservation measures, to further reduce the energy footprint of government operations,\u201d a government statement said.<\/p>\n

Back in Bangladesh, queues continued to snake around gas stations until late evening.<\/p>\n

Raisul Islam Omar said he was queuing at gas stations twice a day to keep his vehicle running. \u201cI\u2019m buying oil every day once in the morning and once in the evening,\u201d he said as cars queued behind. \u201cIt\u2019s not feasible.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Fuel<\/p>\n

Fuel droplets fall from the nozzle after refuelling a car at a fuel station, as concerns grow over fuel supply amid U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on March 10, 2026. – Mohammad Ponir Hossain\/Reuters<\/p>\n

The shortages have prompted India to supply the country with about 5,000 metric tons of diesel through a pipeline, expected to help \u201cmaintain adequate fuel reserves for power generation, transport and agriculture,\u201d India\u2019s state broadcaster, All India Radio, said.<\/p>\n

Yet, for people on the ground, the unprecedented intervention offers little comfort as fears mount over how long the crisis will drag on.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf things stay like this, then it will create a massive pressure on the economy,\u201d said Mohammad Joynal, another Dhaka resident queuing for fuel.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will be in a totally, very bad situation.\u201d<\/p>\n

CNN\u2019s Esha Mitra, Stephanie Yang, Kristie Lu Stout, Trista Kurniawan, Kocha Olarn, Sophia Saifi, Gawon Bae contributed reporting<\/p>\n

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Every day, Shakil Khan weaves his bike through the relentless traffic of Dhaka, delivering items and ferrying passengers…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":521803,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[18819,28,200343,101,235357,235358,9509,2344,801,189103,235356],"class_list":["post-521802","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-economy","tag-bangladesh","tag-business","tag-dhaka","tag-economy","tag-fuel-station","tag-fuel-supply","tag-global-economy","tag-india","tag-iran","tag-lpg","tag-shakil-khan"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/521802","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=521802"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/521802\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/521803"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=521802"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=521802"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=521802"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}