“Amateurs talk strategy; professionals talk logistics” is a classic military aphorism capturing a hard truth: strategy is meaningless without the material backbone that makes it executable. Professionals focus on logistics because wars, campaigns, and even political operations are ultimately decided by sustainment — fuel, ammunition, transport, maintenance, medical support, and the ability to keep forces supplied over time and distance. Strategy is aspirational; logistics is constraining.

Nishqa Devadiga reviews the UNDP report that maps the channels through which a geopolitical shock far from the region mainly war in the Middle East since February 2026 is quietly eroding livelihood, food security, employment and public budgets across one of the world's most economically diverse regions.