As the Strait of Hormuz continues to be the eye of the storm that is the Iran war, much attention has been focused on how its manipulation by Tehran is hurting the global economy and energy supplies. Given the widespread and deleterious effects that Iran’s disruption are having, this is understandable. However, by holding this waterway hostage, Tehran is working to undermine another vital part of the international order – humanitarian aid.
Earlier this month, the International Rescue Committee warned that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz was “beginning to severely affect global humanitarian supply chains, threatening the timely delivery of life-saving assistance to crisis-affected communities around the world”. With tonnes of aid stuck in Gulf ports and charities having to reroute humanitarian supplies, at-risk communities in places such as Somalia, Afghanistan, Yemen, Gaza and elsewhere have been left stranded.
The crisis is a reflection of how indispensable UAE ports have become to global aid flows. On Friday, the UN’s World Food Programme described how its depot at Dubai’s Jebel Ali port is striving to mitigate the effects of the conflict, “working around the clock to find alternative corridors for the stranded humanitarian shipments it now stores”.
Given what is at stake for millions of vulnerable people, it has been welcome to see the UN take some action albeit somewhat late. On Sunday, the organisation announced that it had set up a task force to “develop and propose technical mechanisms specifically designed to meet humanitarian needs in the Strait of Hormuz”. The UN says it is taking inspiration from comparable access projects in the Black Sea, Yemen and Gaza. If successful, the body says such a mechanism could “create confidence among member states on the diplomatic approach to the conflict and constitute a valuable step towards a wider political settlement”.
This is an ambitious statement of intent. Although some in the Middle East will be sceptical, given the UN’s failure to stop numerous conflicts, including two years of war on Gaza, it still remains the primary voice of the international community. Whatever its shortcomings, the UN should work with all parties to negotiate access to the strait, co-ordinate alternative aid routes and drum up diplomatic pressure.
Opening the Strait of Hormuz to humanitarian shipping is the minimum that should be done. There is no military, political or strategic gain to be had from preventing the flow of food, medicine or shelter to impoverished and displaced communities. Indeed, the region has seen the effects of such bullying on aid flows before with Yemen’s Houthi rebels causing havoc for humanitarians with their attacks on Red Sea shipping since 2023.
However, despite its diplomatic heft and moral weight, there is a limited amount that the UN can do without a way to enforce international law. At the end of the day, a ceasefire and comprehensive settlement is the only lasting way to stop the damage that’s being done to vital aid networks.
