How the Middle East war is impacting humanitarian aid to Africa

Submission statement: an article exploring how the closure of the strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for the supply of fuel, fertilizer, medicine and medical supplies, due to the US-Israel war against Iran is wrecking havoc on humanitarian operations in Africa.

With the strait closed to most ships, alternative maritime routes and overland travels are being privileged by carriers, adding time and costs for the delivery of essential medical gear and drugs to areas affected by humanitarian crises, notably inland areas like Darfur and Mali.

In certain areas, fuel prices have risen by nearly 40%, hampering mobility and forcing healthcare providers and NGOs to scale down activities – in Mali, the costs are being compounded by JNIM's fuel blockade and entire communities have been deprived of any access to healthcare.

In many parts of Africa, transportation and electricity production heavily rely on oil, and a prolonged shock could halt economic growth and usher in a cost-of-living crisis; in Senegal or Ethiopia, civil servants have been asked to limit their travel and opt for wfh schemes whenever possible as a fuel-saving measure.

Deliveries of LNG, an essential ingredient for fertilizer, have been severely jeopardized and could lead to a severe disruption in food production on the continent, adding a domestic supply shock to the decrease in imports, with dire consequences on the various food crises already affecting Africa – in Sudan, the Horn of Africa, Cameroon or the DRC.