Middle East War Causes Freight Rates to Soar, Impacting UNHCR Humanitarian Aid
The Middle East war has led to a sharp increase in freight rates, severely affecting the delivery of humanitarian aid by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). Shipping costs from India, Pakistan, and China have surged by nearly 18%, and relief supply transport costs to Africa have doubled.
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- 📰 Published: May 2, 2026 at 19:39
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Middle East War Key News
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency, Geneva 1st, comprehensive foreign report) The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) stated today that the Middle East war has caused freight rates to soar, consequently affecting the delivery of refugee aid supplies to other parts of the region and Africa. Shipping costs from the three major supply sources—India, Pakistan, and China—have surged by nearly 18%.
According to AFP, UNHCR spokesperson Carlotta Wolf stated at a press conference in Geneva: "The ripple effects of the Middle East crisis extend far beyond the regional scope, bringing increasing adverse consequences to the global humanitarian supply chain and the delivery of aid supplies."
UNHCR has rerouted sea cargo through the Red Sea port of Aqaba in Jordan, then using land routes for transport, including truck routes from Dubai.
Wolf stated that some freight costs have more than doubled. For example, the transport cost for over 2,000 metric tons of relief supplies from UNHCR's global stockpile in Dubai to its operations in Sudan and Chad in Africa has surged from $927,000 before the crisis to $1.87 million.
The Middle East war began on February 28 when the United States and Israel jointly launched airstrikes on Iran, triggering retaliatory attacks by Tehran on infrastructure in Persian Gulf countries and blockading the Strait of Hormuz, preventing large quantities of oil, natural gas, and fertilizers from entering the global market. The United States subsequently also blockaded Iranian ports.
Jeremy Laurence, spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Office, stated that the chain reaction triggered by the war "has a substantial impact on (people's) lives and livelihoods. Unfortunately, the most vulnerable populations always bear the brunt." (Translated by Kao Chao-fen / Edited by Chang Cheng-chien) 1150502
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Central News Agency
(Central News Agency, Geneva 1st, comprehensive foreign report) The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) stated today that the Middle East war has caused freight rates to soar, consequently affecting the delivery of refugee aid supplies to other parts of the region and Africa. Shipping costs from the three major supply sources—India, Pakistan, and China—have surged by nearly 18%.
According to AFP, UNHCR spokesperson Carlotta Wolf stated at a press conference in Geneva: "The ripple effects of the Middle East crisis extend far beyond the regional scope, bringing increasing adverse consequences to the global humanitarian supply chain and the delivery of aid supplies."
UNHCR has rerouted sea cargo through the Red Sea port of Aqaba in Jordan, then using land routes for transport, including truck routes from Dubai.
Wolf stated that some freight costs have more than doubled. For example, the transport cost for over 2,000 metric tons of relief supplies from UNHCR's global stockpile in Dubai to its operations in Sudan and Chad in Africa has surged from $927,000 before the crisis to $1.87 million.
The Middle East war began on February 28 when the United States and Israel jointly launched airstrikes on Iran, triggering retaliatory attacks by Tehran on infrastructure in Persian Gulf countries and blockading the Strait of Hormuz, preventing large quantities of oil, natural gas, and fertilizers from entering the global market. The United States subsequently also blockaded Iranian ports.
Jeremy Laurence, spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Office, stated that the chain reaction triggered by the war "has a substantial impact on (people's) lives and livelihoods. Unfortunately, the most vulnerable populations always bear the brunt." (Translated by Kao Chao-fen / Edited by Chang Cheng-chien) 1150502
Stand with the facts, every sponsorship you make is a force to protect press freedom.
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The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.