The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has warned that the ripple effects of the Iran war; soaring fuel prices and supply chain disruptions, are threatening humanitarian operations across Africa.
According to the IRC, rising energy costs and logistical bottlenecks have made it harder and more expensive to move food, medicine and other relief supplies to vulnerable communities, particularly in Africa where aid operations rely on global supply networks that have been strained by the war.
The IRC said in a statement that what is unfolding is a “logistics crisis that is a rapidly escalating humanitarian threat.”
“Fuel is the backbone of humanitarian response. It powers hospitals, keeps vaccines cold, enables ambulances to move, and allows aid to reach communities cut off by conflict and crisis, particularly in areas where electricity supply is unreliable. As prices spike and supply tightens, those systems are beginning to fail.”
International Rescue Committee
The IRC warned that if the disruption caused by the war persists, it could push humanitarian operations to a breaking point in multiple countries.
The war, which began with US and Israeli military operations against Iran earlier this year and has since broadened through multiple fronts, has triggered sharp increases in global oil and fuel prices. Analysts say that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key export route, has contributed to what some energy agencies describe as the largest supply disruption in the oil market’s history.
The surge in prices has pushed operational costs higher for aid groups that depend on fuel to power vehicles, generators and supply chains from ports to remote field sites.
Disruptions in the Middle East and Red Sea are forcing ships to reroute around the Cape of Good Hope, adding weeks to delivery times and driving up costs. Critical supplies, from medicines to nutrition support, are being delayed, with some shipments stranded mid-route.
IRC disclosed in its statement that it currently has $130,000 of pharmaceutical supplies that could support up to 20,000 people, stuck in Dubai intended for Sudan, where needs are already at catastrophic levels.
Rising transport costs are already disrupting IRC operations in Democratic Republic of Congo, delaying the delivery of aid.
More than 600 boxes of therapeutic food intended to feed 1,000 severely malnourished children in IRC clinics in Somalia is stranded in India.
The IRC said that its health clinics in Nigeria face the prospect of scaling back services as using generators becomes too costly due to fuel price surges. IRC mobile health teams are already reducing coverage.
IRC Vice President for Emergencies, Bob Kitchen, said, “This is how a global crisis becomes a humanitarian one … We are already seeing the consequences.”
“Without supply chains being restored or an injection of funding to counter rising costs, this will translate directly into more people going without the services they rely on to survive.”
Bob Kitchen
The nonprofit also said the fuel price shocks and disruptions come as the international humanitarian system is already strained, following significant global aid cuts last year.
The IRC’s concerns echo broader warnings from international organisations about the wider economic fallout of the Iran war. Global institutions, including the International Monetary Fund, have highlighted how disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and damage to critical infrastructure have dimmed economic prospects for many nations and sparked inflationary pressures.
Such economic stress disproportionately affects low-income countries, including those in Africa that import fuel and food staples and rely on stable supply lines for basic goods.
Households Already Reeling From Conflict, Disasters, Displacement To Feel Most Severe Consequences
Moreover, the IRC noted in its statement that the most severe consequences will be felt in households already reeling from conflict, disasters, and displacement.
It noted in the statement that fuel shocks are pushing up the cost of food and basic goods, while rising fertilizer prices threaten the next planting seasons across multiple regions.
“For families already on the brink, this means eating less, earning less, and facing even fewer options to cope.If the situation continues, the impact will cascade rapidly: fewer services, higher food prices, reduced incomes, and rising hunger. What begins as a disruption to fuel and shipping risks becoming a full-scale deterioration in humanitarian conditions, hitting the world’s poorest communities the hardest.”
International Rescue Committee
The IRC also issued urgent recommendations to protect civilians and ensure humanitarian aid can reach those most affected by the escalating violence. It said that pending a cessation of hostilities, “which would offer the greatest protection for civilians,” all parties should respect international law and protect civilians and civilian infrastructure.
It added that flexible funding is urgently needed to scale up emergency response efforts, expand health and protection services, and provide cash assistance and essential relief items to families who have fled with little or nothing.
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