Tens of thousands of tons of food aid for impoverished nations have been blocked due to the situation in the Middle East. The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that millions of people could face famine if the disruptions continue, according to a report by the Financial Times (FT).
As pointed out by WFP Director of Supply Chain Corinne Fleischer, approximately 70,000 tons of food are currently stuck at sea due to logistical failures and rerouting. The organization noted that if supply disruptions persist until June, the number of people facing acute food insecurity could increase by 45 million worldwide.
The supply interruptions have specifically affected around 30,000 tons of food transported in containers, including canned goods, peas, and specialized nutritional products. The publication notes that the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz and threats in the Red Sea have forced carriers to redirect ships around Africa via the Cape of Good Hope, significantly increasing delivery times and costs. Specifically, about 21,000 tons of wheat destined for Yemen remain blocked in Oman, while deliveries to the Democratic Republic of the Congo are delayed in Tanzanian ports. To supply Afghanistan, where hunger threatens a third of the population, the WFP has begun using an alternative land route from the UAE through the territory of several countries, including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Turkey, which has led to a sharp increase in logistics and fuel expenses.
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Photo: Eiso Vaandrager/Creative Commons 2.0
Based on materials from TASS