Middle East Conflict and Funding Cuts Severely Disrupt Global Aid Operations

The ongoing conflict in the Middle East, coupled with significant reductions in humanitarian funding, is severely disrupting global aid operations, impacting the delivery of essential food, medicine, and supplies to millions of people worldwide. Aid organizations report substantial increases in operational costs, prolonged delays due to rerouted shipping, and a growing number of displaced individuals and people facing acute hunger.

Humanitarian Impact and Displacement

Since U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran commenced on February 28, an estimated 3.2 million people in Iran and 1 million in Lebanon have been displaced. Humanitarian organizations are facing increased pressure to provide support in these and other conflict-affected regions.

• Hospitals in Yemen are experiencing high bed occupancy rates, reaching 120% in pediatric wards, amidst chronic malnutrition and outbreaks of cholera, measles, and polio.
• In Somalia, 6.5 million people are acutely food insecure.
• In Sudan, over 19 million people face acute food insecurity.

Supply Chain Disruptions

The conflict has obstructed critical shipping routes, including the Strait of Hormuz and the Suez Canal, and routes from strategic hubs like Dubai, Doha, and Abu Dhabi. This disruption has contributed to a global energy crisis and forced aid groups to utilize costlier and more time-consuming alternative routes. The United Nations has identified this as the most substantial supply chain disruption since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Transport expenses have increased due to higher fuel and insurance rates, with shipping costs rising by up to 20%. This means a reduced volume of supplies can be delivered for the same budget.

Specific reported delays and challenges include:

• World Food Program (WFP): Tens of thousands of metric tons of food are experiencing heavy transit delays.
• International Rescue Committee (IRC): $130,000 worth of pharmaceuticals for Sudan are stranded in Dubai, and nearly 670 boxes of therapeutic food for severely malnourished children in Somalia are stuck in India. A shipment destined for East Africa is also blocked.
• U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA): Equipment shipments to 16 countries have been delayed.
• Doctors Without Borders: Over 100 tons of therapeutic foods and critical medications, including therapeutic foods for children under five in Yemen, are delayed at Dubai's Jebel Ali port.
• Save the Children: Medicines for Afghanistan are delayed at a supplier's warehouse in India. IV fluids, malaria tests, and antibiotics for Sudan are inaccessible, with clinics anticipating running out of supplies by April.

Madiha Raza from the International Rescue Committee stated that the war and the disruption to the Strait of Hormuz risk pushing humanitarian operations beyond their limits, with supply chain shocks potentially delaying aid for months even after fighting ceases.

Rerouting and Operational Challenges

Aid organizations are compelled to find new ways to transport goods. Some are rerouting vessels around Africa, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz and the Suez Canal, which adds weeks to delivery times. Others are adopting hybrid transport methods, combining land, sea, and air, leading to increased expenses.

Examples of rerouting and cost implications:

• UNICEF is now flying vaccines to Turkey and then driving them into Iran to ensure timely delivery for vaccination campaigns. This new route has increased costs by 20% and added 10 days to delivery time.
• Save the Children International plans to truck goods from Dubai through Saudi Arabia and then by barge across the Red Sea. This new route adds 10 days and increases costs by approximately 25%, affecting over 19 million Sudanese and risking essential medicine shortages in more than 90 primary health care facilities.

Rising costs also force organizations to prioritize, potentially reducing the number of people they can serve or the quantity of items they can afford. Janti Soeripto, president of Save the Children for the U.S., noted that existing stockpiles in various countries could be depleted within weeks.

Within countries, rising fuel prices are affecting aid delivery and access to care. Doctors Without Borders reported increased transport and food costs in Somalia, impacting access to care for 6.5 million people. In Nigeria, the IRC reported a 50% surge in fuel prices, causing clinics to struggle with powering equipment and mobile health teams to scale back operations. Jean Kaseya, director general of Africa CDC, indicated that increased transportation costs due to fuel shortages also affect the production of health commodities like polyester-based mosquito nets.

Funding Landscape and Aid Policy

Humanitarian organizations are operating amidst significant funding shortfalls. The U.N. humanitarian chief, Tom Fletcher, highlighted that the U.N.'s $23 billion appeal for 87 million people is only one-third funded.

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), previously a major global donor, was dissolved by the Trump administration last year. This decision was attributed to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which had characterized USAID as a "waste of money." This led to the termination of tens of thousands of staff and the closure of critical programs worldwide. The UNHCR reduced its staff by 30% last year due to funding cuts, and the WFP experienced a one-third cut in funding during the same period. Several other countries have also reduced humanitarian aid, citing increased defense spending needs.

U.S. Government Statements:

• The U.S. State Department stated it is dedicating over $40 million to $50 million in additional emergency assistance to Lebanon, including the WFP, and is collaborating with the U.N. It urged other countries to increase contributions and announced the establishment of 12 regional hubs for disaster coordination. Spokesman Tommy Pigott asserted that U.S. reforms enhance aid effectiveness and that the U.S. remains the world's most generous country.
• The White House, through Spokeswoman Anna Kelly, stated the U.S. remains the largest aid provider and affirmed President Trump's support for the Iranian people and innocent civilians, adding that eliminating threats posed by the "terrorist Iranian regime" is a humanitarian effort.

In January, the U.S. Congress appropriated $5.5 billion for humanitarian aid as part of its 2026 foreign aid package, which aid experts argue should be released to mitigate the current crisis.

Food Security Outlook

The WFP warns that if the conflict persists through June, an additional 45 million people could face acute hunger, adding to the nearly 320 million people already experiencing hunger globally.

The disruption of fertilizer shipments through the Strait of Hormuz is a significant concern, as approximately 30% of the world's fertilizer passes through this route. With the planting season approaching in regions like East Africa and South Asia, small farmers in poorer countries are expected to be severely affected. Sudan imports over half its fertilizer from the Gulf, and Kenya imports approximately 40%. The U.N. secretary-general has established a task force to facilitate fertilizer trade, modeled after the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

International Concerns and Funding Response

Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom jointly issued a statement warning of "devastating humanitarian consequences" if a significant Israeli ground offensive occurs in Lebanon.

Humanitarian experts have observed a slower international response to funding aid during this conflict compared to previous ones, such as Ukraine. This has been interpreted by some as potentially indicating a growing global emphasis on security investments over humanitarian aid. Sam Vigersky, an international affairs fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, noted that while the U.S. typically includes aid provisions during conflicts, these have not been activated. Aid groups contend that more funding from governments is necessary to address rising costs, especially in the absence of a ceasefire.