Crisis in the Middle East Devastates Humanitarian Supply Chains

The United Nations has described this as the most significant disruption to humanitarian supply chains since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Humanitarian organizations worldwide are reporting significant disruptions to the delivery of food, medicine, and other essential supplies due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The disruptions are attributed to the closure and rerouting of key shipping routes, rising fuel and insurance costs, and pre-existing reductions in foreign aid funding.

Impact on Global Supply Chains

The conflict has affected critical maritime pathways, including the Strait of Hormuz and the Suez Canal, as well as routes from logistics hubs such as Dubai, Doha, and Abu Dhabi.

• Transport costs for aid shipments have increased by up to 20%.
• Insurance premiums for shipments have risen significantly.
• Aid organizations are forced to reroute goods along longer, more expensive pathways, including sailing around Africa or using hybrid land-sea-air routes.

Specific Delays and Stranded Supplies

Multiple organizations have reported delays affecting critical supplies:

World Food Program (WFP): Tens of thousands of metric tons of food are experiencing significant transit delays.

International Rescue Committee (IRC): Approximately $130,000 worth of pharmaceuticals destined for Sudan are stranded in Dubai. Nearly 670 boxes of therapeutic food for severely malnourished children in Somalia are stuck in India.

United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA): Equipment shipments to 16 countries have been delayed.

Doctors Without Borders (MSF): Over 100 tons of therapeutic foods and critical medications, including supplies for children under five, are delayed at Dubai's Jebel Ali port. Hospitals in Yemen are reporting pediatric ward bed occupancy rates of 120%.

Save the Children: Medicines for Afghanistan are delayed at a supplier's warehouse in India. Air shipment costs for these drugs have reportedly doubled. Clinics in Sudan anticipate running out of supplies by April.

UNHCR: Aid shipments to Sudan are taking longer and costing more than double previous rates, according to a spokesperson.

Rerouting and Increased Operational Costs

To bypass blocked routes, aid groups are implementing new transportation strategies, which are adding time and expense to deliveries.

UNICEF: Vaccines for Iran are now flown to Turkey and transported overland, adding 10 days to delivery time and increasing costs by 20%.

Save the Children International: Supplies for Sudan previously sent by ocean freight from Dubai are now being trucked through Saudi Arabia and barged across the Red Sea. This adds 10 days and increases costs by approximately 25%.

General Rerouting: Some vessels are rerouting around Africa, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz and the Suez Canal, adding weeks to delivery times.

Rising fuel prices are also impacting local operations. In Somalia, increased transport and food costs are affecting access to care for 6.5 million people facing acute food insecurity. In Nigeria, the IRC reported a 50% surge in fuel prices, which has made it difficult for clinics to power equipment and has forced mobile health teams to scale back operations.

Global Hunger and Fertilizer Concerns

The WFP has warned that if the conflict continues through June, an additional 45 million people could face acute hunger. This comes in addition to the nearly 320 million people already experiencing hunger globally.

Approximately 30% of the world's fertilizer supply passes through the Strait of Hormuz. This disruption is expected to impact the upcoming planting season in regions such as East Africa and South Asia. Sudan imports over half of 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.

Pre-Existing Funding Reductions and Current Funding

Prior to the current conflict, the United States had implemented significant cuts to foreign aid, including the dissolution of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Other countries also reduced humanitarian aid, citing increased defense spending needs. The UNHCR reduced its staff by 30% last year due to funding cuts.

Following the escalation of conflict, the U.S. State Department announced additional emergency assistance. According to State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott, the U.S. is dedicating over $40 million (as reported in Source 1) / $50 million (as reported in Sources 2 and 3) in additional emergency assistance to Lebanon, including for the WFP, and is collaborating with the U.N. The White House stated that the U.S. remains the largest aid provider. In January, the U.S. Congress appropriated $5.5 billion for humanitarian aid as part of its 2026 foreign aid package.

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. Some humanitarian experts have observed a slower international response in funding aid for this conflict compared to previous conflicts, such as the war in Ukraine.

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, according to reports cited by the UNHCR. Sudan is currently experiencing the world's largest displacement crisis.