As the Middle East conflict expands its scope, a Caribbean regional advocacy organization has sounded the alarm over projected sharp increases in regional food and energy prices, while calling on leaders of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to formally label deliberate attacks on civilian infrastructure as war crimes and speed up efforts to build regional economic and food self-sufficiency.
Suleiman Bulbulia, treasurer of Caribbean Against Apartheid in Palestine (CAAP), shared the warning in an exclusive interview with Barbados TODAY. He explained that the ongoing conflict, which now draws in major powers including Israel, the United States and Iran, will send shockwaves through global commodity markets that will eventually reach small island economies across the Caribbean through higher import costs.
Bulbulia emphasized that the Caribbean’s structural dependence on imported goods leaves the region uniquely exposed to sudden global market volatility. “The ripple effects of this conflict will touch every corner of the global economy, and the Caribbean will not be spared,” he stated. “We have already observed significant upward pressure on global crude oil prices, and these increases will eventually pass through to regional consumers. Higher fuel costs push up shipping fees for all imported goods, and since the vast majority of the Caribbean’s food and consumer products come from overseas, the final price tag for households will rise sharply. This is a pressing issue that demands immediate attention.”
Beyond the immediate economic threats, Bulbulia raised grave concerns over what he frames as open disregard for international humanitarian law and established diplomatic norms. He argued that the repeated targeting of critical civilian infrastructure — including hospitals, transportation networks and power generation facilities — meets the legal definition of war crimes, and that all responsible members of the international community, including CARICOM, have an obligation to publicly condemn these actions.
“Across the globe today, we are seeing a growing retreat from commitments to uphold international rules and fundamental human rights,” Bulbulia said. “If actors face no consequences for these violations today, where will this path lead us? If attacks on civilian sites go unpunished in one region today, the norm of impunity will embolden actors to take similar actions in other countries tomorrow. Where does this cycle of lawlessness end?”
Drawing a direct parallel to the Caribbean’s longstanding, unified opposition to apartheid rule in 20th century South Africa, Bulbulia urged CARICOM to use its collective diplomatic voice to advocate for upholding the rule of law on the global stage. He warned that without collective pushback, the world could slide back into a pre-modern “might makes right” mentality that erodes decades of progress on international humanitarian norms.
To buffer the Caribbean from future external economic shocks caused by global conflicts, Bulbulia called for accelerated investment and policy action to build regional self-sufficiency. He highlighted the untapped agricultural potential of larger Caribbean nations including Guyana, Suriname and Jamaica, arguing that regional integration of food production could cut the bloc’s reliance on imported food drastically.
“It is past time we ask the critical question: how can we make CARICOM member states food self-sufficient?” he noted. “We have abundant natural and human resources right here within the region. Instead of remaining dependent on global supply chains that are increasingly vulnerable to geopolitical upheaval, we should develop these resources and integrate regional trade to meet our own needs.”