Al Jazeera reports that the escalating conflict in the Middle East is causing a worsening cost-of-living crisis for a quarter of the world's population, approximately 2 billion people in South Asia. Countries like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal are highly dependent on imported energy, much of which comes from Gulf nations. As more supply routes are disrupted, these countries are bearing the brunt of rising prices, including soaring costs for food, electricity, and gas. The report quotes local residents saying they are forced to bear heavy burdens due to distant political conflicts, with some families even unable to pay their children's school fees.