The United Nations Refugee Agency has warned that the Middle East crisis has created far-reaching chain effects extending well beyond the region, with increasingly severe negative impacts on global humanitarian supply chains and aid delivery.
According to Xinhua News Agency, UNHCR spokesperson Wolf said at a press conference in Geneva on the 1st that the security situation on major Gulf shipping routes and surrounding areas, especially the Strait of Hormuz, is deteriorating, resulting in disruptions to maritime transport.
Globally, rising costs of fuel, food, and freight are pushing up prices and delaying the delivery of essential supplies. This is reducing the ability of aid agencies to provide assistance in a timely manner, impacting the livelihoods of millions of refugees and displaced persons.
Wolf stated that since the outbreak of conflict in the Middle East, freight prices for major supplying countries have risen by nearly 18%, with transportation costs for some goods having more than doubled.
She pointed out that the situation in Africa is especially severe. At a major UNHCR global reserve warehouse in Kenya, a roughly 15% rise in fuel prices has delayed the shipment of supplies to Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and South Sudan. In Sudan, aid transportation costs have doubled in recent months, and shipping routes detouring around the Cape of Good Hope have extended delivery times by up to 25 days.
Wolf warned that if turmoil continues in the Middle East, rising costs, transportation delays, and limited capacity will further reduce the operational space for humanitarian efforts.