From night life in Egypt to rice farming in Vietnam, the war in Iran is a drain

A man closes the door of a shop in Cairo, Egypt, to comply with the government's order for businesses to shut down nightly at 9 p.m. Ahmed Gomaa/Xinhua News Agency/via hide caption toggle caption Ahmed Gomaa/Xinhua News Agency/via In Cairo, streets come alive in the evening as many people go out to shake off the stress of the day, or shop after a long day of work. These days, however, the megalopolis is quiet and dark. The government has ordered all businesses, including cafes, shops and restaurants, to close at 9 p.m. in an effort to conserve energy. Streetlights are also turned off. "Maybe for the states or for Europe 9 p.m. is not bad, but in Egypt usually we stay out until midnight or even after midnight. So this was a big shock for lots of people," says Ahmed Kamaly , professor of economics at the American University in Cairo. The measure has led to unemployment and income loss for thousands of people, Kamaly says, as businesses can no longer operate during those lucrative hours. It's part of the far-reaching consequences of the now eight-week-old war in Iran in the countries of the Global South — notably in Africa and Asia because of their dependence on imports from the region. In many countries, daily life has not been the same since the war began. Shipments of oil and gas, fertilizer, food, medicines and more have been severely hampered by the blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for international trade. The impacts go beyond imports. …