The actions of the Houthi forces targeting ships in the Red Sea are causing delays in the delivery of crucial aid to Sudan. This is also causing financial strain for humanitarian organizations in the country, which is already facing a dire situation due to conflict and putting millions of people at risk of famine.
The assaults require vessels transporting assistance from Asia to Port Sudan to take a longer route around Africa, pass through the Mediterranean, and then enter the Red Sea through the Suez Canal from the northern direction. This has caused significant delays and higher expenses.
Eatizaz Yousif, the Sudan country director for the International Rescue Committee, stated that the current situation is causing our operations to become significantly costly. Shipments that used to arrive within one to two weeks are now taking several months.
Fierce conflict between opposing military groups has caused widespread destruction in Sudan since April. About 24 million people, or half of the country’s population, urgently need food assistance and approximately 8 million individuals have been displaced from their homes, leading to the biggest crisis of internal displacement in the world.
When the Houthis, supported by Iran, began attacking ships in the Red Sea in November, aid organizations were already struggling with security concerns, lack of funds, and bureaucratic obstacles while responding to the crisis. The Houthis were demanding that Israel cease their offensive in Gaza.
A smaller amount of aid is being unloaded at ports in the United Arab Emirates. It is then transported through Saudi Arabia and shipped to Sudan from Jeddah, taking a route that does not go near the Yemeni coast. Some aid is also being brought in by plane from Kenya or transported through the Egyptian border.
According to Omer Sharfy, the head of supply chain management for Save the Children in the area, sending supplies to Port Sudan, the central location for aid organizations in the country, is a more efficient and cost-effective option than using alternative routes that require more time, money, and bureaucratic procedures.
Sharfy stated that the market has been greatly affected by the Houthi problem, leading to a severe shortage of medical supplies.
According to Sharfy, the Red Sea’s closure resulted in a delay of life-saving nutritional supplies that were to be distributed by Save the Children in late November. The supplies did not arrive until January.
A different prominent organization, who chose not to disclose their name due to safety concerns, stated they have yet to receive two deliveries of insulin and other medications.
The intended delivery date for these items was January, but they are currently held up in Dubai. The organization is now confronted with air transportation expenses of $160,000 (£127,000) for their next shipment of medications, a significant increase from the previous cost of $20,000 for sea shipping.
In Sudan’s western region of Darfur, children are currently facing death due to starvation and preventable diseases, while humanitarian efforts are being hindered by ongoing conflict and crime. Aid workers are concerned that the situation will worsen in the upcoming months, potentially leading to widespread famine in Sudan.
According to Kashif Shafique, the Sudan head of Relief International, the ongoing crisis in the Red Sea is making it increasingly difficult to provide a response. He described the current situation as “catastrophic.”
Shafique stated that there are extra expenses and time setbacks. However, given the current circumstances on the ground, urgent measures are necessary to transport supplies.
Source: theguardian.com
