A senior International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) official has warned that the ripple effects of the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz may be felt for months to come.
Yasmine Praz Dessimoz, director of operations with the ICRC, said disruption to the critical waterway owing to the Iran war was already posing huge challenges to communities around the world.
About 20 per cent of global crude oil was shipped through the narrow waterway before the conflict erupted on February 28.
Experts have warned that the sustained disruption of oil and gas flows through the strait and attacks on energy infrastructure have widespread implications for the world economy and energy security.
“One element is the economic impact, the knock-on effect of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, where today we don't know what's next,” Ms Dessimoz told The National in an interview on the sidelines of the Dubai International Humanitarian Aid conference.
“We do see how difficult it is to cope but we don't know what 2027 will be like. Today, you see inflation, you see fertilisers that are not produced or not delivered. That would have an impact on the harvest, be it by the end of 2026 or 2027,” Ms Dessimoz said.
“We do see that in Africa, especially in the Horn of Africa. We do see this in Myanmar, the import of fuel has drastically reduced, people are queuing up. That's a concrete example we already see today. We don't know what's next and it will be a knock-on effect of what we do see today.”
Which life to save?
Ms Dessimoz also spoke of the crucial work being carried out by aid workers grappling with perilous conditions in war zones around the world. She has visited Gaza, Ukraine and Somalia where she has met with aid workers who told of the challenges they face constantly.
“How do you choose between life-saving and life-saving? Which life do you choose to save? I think that's extremely difficult,” she said. “I will give you an example on security. I was in Gaza, and I was in discussions with our surgeon in the field hospital when there was some shelling.
“And he said, I have to choose between going into a shelter – me and my team – stop the surgery I’m doing and abandon the patient. Which choice can I make? So that's the choice, one he has to do for his team, but then also which life to save?”
With steep aid cuts worldwide, the intense strain on the global humanitarian group has created untenable situations for aid workers caring for vulnerable communities across Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
“The conversion of conflict with humanitarian needs that are huge, and climate risk, is ongoing. We are not all where we want to go, we already had to make choices between communities,” she said.
“From an ICRC perspective, our priority is being where there is massive humanitarian need in international armed conflict … We are in Gaza, we are in Ukraine, we are in Sudan, we are in DRC, but then we had, for example, to go in for a major cut in that Central African Republic or in Libya, where we want to stay, we want to remain.
“But it's been extremely fragile and we had to make some choices. For the populations and communities there, we had to reduce drastically and so there are needs that are really not covered today.”
Respect for neutrality
She stressed that the neutrality of humanitarian organisations must be respected, particularly in war zones.
“Neutrality, impartiality and independence have the same meaning everywhere, and that is very important to understand,” she said.
The support of countries such as the UAE is vital to continuing to serve at-risk communities amid major funding cuts.
“We are in the UAE, where you have three days of this conference taking place on the future of the humanitarian sector. It’s on donors, on philanthropy, the private sector is here and you have a government that wants to show a certain leadership in it,” she said.
“We can adapt, we need to adapt. We do see a will to change things, and that's really important, that's something that is optimistic.”
Against us or with us
Ms Dessimoz called for stronger protection of aid workers, adding that when humanitarian workers were at risk, it put pressure on the life-saving jobs they carried out.
“On August 19, World International Humanitarian Day, unfortunately, we had a dramatic record of over 1,000 men and women killed over the last three years. That means today you have one humanitarian worker who is killed every single day,” she said during a panel discussion at the Dubai conference. "We have to safeguard trust in the legitimacy of the humanitarian sector.”
Continued support from governments and the private sector is paramount for aid workers to be able to do their jobs.
“We're in such a polarised world that neutrality – one of the basic principles of a humanitarian organisation – is at best misunderstood and at worst we can be considered as complicit with the enemy. Neutrality is not understood, it's more – you are against us, or you are with us,” she said.
But she takes strength from the hope and the desire to rebuild expressed by the displaced people. “Not to give up – that may sound very simple, but we need sustained commitment, fair and deep partnerships,” Ms Dessimoz said.
“We are struggling, we have to make extremely hard choices, but I had the opportunity over the last two years to go to Gaza, Somalia, Ukraine, and what I've seen on the ground is hope. As a humanitarian organisation, we have to be present on the ground, to be close to people, listen to them.”
