Important air, sea and land humanitarian routes are being restricted by disruptions caused by war in the Middle Eastdelaying the delivery of life-saving aid in some of the world’s worst crises, 10 aid officials told Reuters.
The war between the United States and Israel against Iran entered its seventh day this Friday (6), shaking global markets and disrupting supply chains with airspace closures and the paralysis of crucial maritime traffic.
Aid going to Gaza and Sudan has come to a virtual standstill, while costs are rising rapidly to help hundreds of millions of people facing it around the world.
“People who urgently need assistance will have to wait longer for food”said Jean-Martin Bauer, Director of Food Security at the World Food Program (WFP).
Already tents, tarpaulins and lamps destined for and from the West Bank were trapped in the logistics chain, reported the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Dubai Humanitarian Hub
Aid groups say the Rising operating costs are putting pressure on budgets already hit by major donor cuts. The IOM said shipping companies are demanding emergency surcharges of around US$3,000 per container.
Humanitarian organizations storing supplies for regional rapid response in Dubai Humanitarian Hub warehouses face difficulties moving the products through transit routes.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescents (IFRC) is unable to send trauma kits to assist the Iranian Red Crescent in search and rescue operations. The equipment is stored at the Dubai hub as part of an emergency stock valued at 10 million Swiss francs (US$13 million, or around R$68.1 million), said Cecile Terraz, director of the organization.
The entity is also unable to send cargo through the port of Jebel Ali, the largest container terminal in the region, which caught fire after debris from an intercepted missile. Normally, cargo goes from there by plane or through the Strait of Hormuz.
Operations at the World Health Organization (WHO) hub in Dubai are also frozen, said regional director Hanan Balkhy, blocking 50 emergency requests from 25 countries and hampering operations such as polio vaccination campaigns.
Effects spread around the world
The impacts of the crisis could spread even further.
Sudan, facing extreme hunger, is particularly exposed due to additional restrictions since February 28 on the Suez Canal and the Bab el-Mandeb Straitat the southern entrance to the Red Sea, UNHCR said.
“We are particularly concerned about Africa,” an agency spokeswoman said, adding that some cargo is being sent around the Cape of Good Hope, a route that could take up to three weeks longer.
Os fuel costs, transport and insurance are also rising, and Terraz said the IFRC may be forced to reduce deliveries to the Iranian Red Crescent.
Emma Maspero, senior manager of UNICEF’s supply division in Copenhagen, said she hoped flights carrying perishable humanitarian goods such as vaccines could be given priority in light of airspace restrictions.
