The escalating war in the Middle East is beginning to choke global humanitarian supply routes, the United Nations’ top aid official has warned, raising alarm over disruptions to one of the world’s most vital shipping corridors.
Tom Fletcher, head of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said on Wednesday that the conflict has effectively shut down traffic through the strategic Strait of Hormuz, severely affecting the movement of humanitarian supplies.
The disruption has also driven up fuel costs and freight rates, further complicating efforts to deliver aid to vulnerable populations around the world.
Fletcher warned that the closure of the strait is already having a “direct impact” on shipments of humanitarian goods, including assistance bound for critical regions in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Aid access at risk
Speaking to reporters in Geneva, Fletcher said further escalation could damage additional supply routes, worsening an already fragile humanitarian situation.
Rising transportation costs and blocked routes, he said, are increasing global needs at a time when aid organisations are struggling to reach communities facing food insecurity and conflict.
“We’re appealing to all the parties to try and secure those routes, including the Strait of Hormuz for our humanitarian traffic,” Fletcher said, stressing that aid must reach people based on need rather than political considerations.
‘Moment of grave peril’
The UN aid chief described the current moment as one of exceptional danger, warning that overlapping crises are colliding in ways that threaten to destabilise already fragile regions.
He said the latest escalation underscores a broader erosion of the international rules meant to limit the brutality of war.
“We’re living in a time of brutality, impunity and indifference,” Fletcher said, adding that civilians are increasingly bearing the brunt of modern conflicts.
As fighting intensifies across the Middle East, the risk of supply disruptions spreading beyond the region is growing, threatening humanitarian operations far from the battlefield.
