Houthi Attacks Disrupt Vital Aid Shipments to Sudan, Escalating Humanitarian Costs

Ongoing assaults by Houthi forces in the Red Sea are causing significant disruptions to crucial aid shipments to Sudan, exacerbating the dire humanitarian situation in the conflict-ridden East African nation. The attacks have compelled ships carrying essential supplies from Asia to Port Sudan to take longer and more expensive routes, circumventing Africa, traversing the Mediterranean, and entering the Red Sea via the Suez Canal from the north. This detour results in extensive delays and increased operational costs for already financially strained humanitarian agencies operating in Sudan.

The Houthi forces, aligned with Iran, initiated the attacks in November, targeting Red Sea ships and demanding an end to Israel’s Gaza offensive. As a consequence, smaller aid shipments are now being rerouted through complex pathways, disembarking at ports in the United Arab Emirates, transiting Saudi Arabia, and then shipping to Sudan from Jeddah. Additionally, aid is being flown in from Kenya or transported across the Egyptian border. The alternative routes, laden with bureaucracy and higher costs, significantly impede the timely delivery of vital supplies.

The closures in the Red Sea have caused delays in the distribution of life-saving nutritional supplies and essential medicines, exacerbating the already critical situation in Sudan. The country, grappling with internal conflicts since April, has witnessed mass displacement, with half of its population requiring urgent food aid. The Houthi-induced disruptions in aid transportation threaten to worsen the humanitarian crisis and hinder efforts to alleviate the suffering of millions at risk of famine.