The United Nations refugee agency has warned that the cost of sending aid to Sudan, which is experiencing the world's largest displacement crisis, has more than doubled due to the ongoing war in Iran. Shipping disruptions, including heightened insecurity around the Strait of Hormuz, port congestion, rising fuel prices, and higher insurance premiums, are severely hampering relief efforts.
Impact on Aid Delivery
UNHCR spokesperson Carlotta Wolf told reporters in Geneva that ships carrying aid that previously passed from Dubai through the Strait of Hormuz are now being rerouted from Europe around the Cape of Good Hope. This adds up to 25 days to delivery times. “People in dire need are receiving things that are ready later than what’s needed,” she said.
Transport costs for shipping relief items from Dubai to Sudan and neighboring Chad have more than doubled, rising from $927,000 to $1.87 million. The Dubai hub hosts UNHCR’s largest global stockpile of relief items, one of seven worldwide.
Additional Pressures
Since the US and Israel launched their war against Iran on February 28, congestion at major ports such as Jeddah in Saudi Arabia and Mersin in Turkiye, along with sharply higher war-risk insurance premiums (estimated at 0.5 to 1.5 percent of cargo value for Gulf transits), have added further strain. Increased reliance on overland routes has also led to truck shortages and higher transport costs.
In Nairobi, Kenya, fuel prices have risen by around 15 percent, causing delays and reducing truck availability for shipments to Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and South Sudan.
Funding Constraints
The disruptions come as UNHCR faces severe funding constraints following global donor cuts. Its $8.5 billion appeal to assist 135 million refugees and displaced people is only 23 percent funded. “Every dollar that is spent additionally on transportation is $1 less that we can provide to people forcibly on the ground, or less people that we can support,” Wolf said.
The UNHCR also warned that rising fuel prices and fertilizer shortages are driving up food costs, exacerbating hardship for those in need.
