The global supply chain for humanitarian aid, disrupted by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, may not return to normal until 2027, the United Nations warned on Tuesday.
Jean-Cedric Meeus, UNICEF’s transport and logistics chief, explained that the impact of the US-Israeli attack on Iran on 28 February, which triggered the conflict, is being felt far beyond the region.
Meeus noted that children worldwide are suffering as a result of supply chain congestion and soaring costs.
“The disruptions to the global humanitarian supply chain are having widespread repercussions,” he stated at a UN press conference broadcast in Geneva
Efforts to end the war through indirect talks between the US and Iran have failed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil and gas shipping route.
Meeus, who was speaking from Mogadishu, Somalia, described the crisis as starting in the Strait of Hormuz but evolving into a global humanitarian emergency.
He highlighted delays and increasing operational costs, stating that UNICEF faced hard trade-offs amid a worldwide funding shortfall.
“Every extra dollar spent on transportation means less money available to help children,” Meeus warned, calling the situation “a brutal equation.”
The conflict has shrunk air cargo capacity across the Middle East, with airlines cutting services to African destinations and port congestion spreading across the continent.
Meeus revealed that air freight costs for vaccines have risen by 50% to 70% on routes from India to Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
US President Donald Trump said on Monday that talks with Iran were progressing “at a rapid pace,” but Tehran maintained its stance of keeping the Strait of Hormuz closed.
Even if a deal is reached and the strait reopens, UNICEF’s supply chain challenges are expected to persist until at least the end of this year, Meeus said.
