The ripple effects of the Middle East crisis have been felt across Asia and the Pacific since February 2026, with socioeconomic impacts transmitted through energy markets, trade and logistics, food and fertilizer prices, exchange-rate and financing pressures, fiscal constraints, and labour market disruptions. This policy brief examines how these interconnected pressures are affecting urban economies and communities, assesses implications for urban cost of living, poverty, employment and livelihoods, reviews government responses across the region, and identifies policy priorities to protect vulnerable urban households and strengthen resilience.