Live updates: Follow the latest news on Iran war
The almost total blockade of the Strait of Hormuz since the Iran war began more than six weeks ago will have a long-lasting impact on some of the world’s poorest countries that are already threatened by famine, according to an analysis by Mercy Corps.
Africa – notably Sudan, Somalia and Ethiopia – will suffer greatly, the American charity says. Asia will also pay a high price, with countries such as Pakistan and Myanmar hit by a conflict they have nothing to do with.
About a third of the world's fertilisers are transported through the Strait of Hormuz to Asia and Africa. If fertiliser arrives late or becomes more expensive, this will affect the planting of crops for the next harvest and in 2027 as well.
In Sudan, where more than 25 million people are malnourished and some areas are experiencing famine after three years of civil war, deliveries of humanitarian aid are being delayed by three weeks because shipments are being rerouted via the Cape of Good Hope at Africa's southern tip, the charity said. Funding for the country’s humanitarian needs is only 16 per cent, as fighting continues and poverty reaches critical levels.
In Pakistan, the disruption comes as farmers buy fertiliser for the June-July planting season, affecting the prospects for food stability in 2027. Liquefied natural gas, shipped through the strait from Qatar, is one of the main ingredients in producing nitrogen fertiliser, which is commonly used in Pakistan.
Around 35 per cent of the world’s diesel transits through the strait, mostly to Asian countries. The price of a barrel of crude oil has soared, with fuel prices increasing by up to 150 per cent in Somalia. In Ethiopia, the shock moved beyond price, as fuel became unavailable and the government introduced rationing.
Reopening the strait would limit the humanitarian disaster, but the damage is already done, as prices have risen and deliveries have failed to arrive on time, Mercy Corps warned.
