Air freight costs from regions like India to Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo have jumped by roughly 50 to 70 percent, intensifying funding and supply pressures for immunization campaigns and other relief.

The UN’s logistics chief at UNICEF notes that the US-Israel–Iran conflict has severely disrupted humanitarian supply chains, with effects likely to persist into 2027 even if the fighting ends soon.

Airlink reports about 60% of planned shipments were delayed or halted in early March due to flight suspensions, but revised routing and regional hubs have helped around three-quarters of disrupted shipments resume.

Aid organizations are redesigning logistics in real time, activating alternative corridors, regional hubs and diversified sourcing, including pre-positioned stocks in multiple stockpiles and regional warehousing.

Afghanistan faces two-month delivery delays due to route closures, with UNICEF rerouting via Georgia and the Caspian Sea; delays also hit Beira, Conakry, Abidjan, Dar es Salaam and Mombasa ports, affecting landlocked countries via the Djibouti corridor.

UN agencies and partners, including WFP, have secured commitments from major carriers to suspend surcharges on humanitarian shipments, saving about $2 million, though overall capacity remains tight.

UNHCR and UNICEF warn of bottlenecks around the Strait of Hormuz and disruptions to Red Sea, Suez Canal and Gulf corridors that threaten timeliness of lifesaving supplies, potentially delaying critical relief by up to six months.

UNICEF has nearly exhausted annual transport contributions from logistics partners and is adopting measures like alternative routes, front-loaded procurement, supplier diversification, and local production, including working with over 20 RUTF manufacturers globally.

Delays are worsened by diversions around the Cape of Good Hope, tighter air freight capacity in the Middle East, and port congestion in Africa, with potential four- to six-month delays for critical supplies.

UNICEF warns that surging global transport costs and disruptions on Middle East shipping routes are threatening the delivery of lifesaving aid for children, with vaccines and other logistics facing sharp cost increases as routes falter.

To reduce exposure to single corridors, regions are prioritizing regionalization and diversification of supply chains, including local procurement and direct financial assistance to mitigate dependence on long international routes.

UNHCR has intensified emergency operations with Lebanon emerging as a major replenishment hub, distributing over 200,000 relief items to assist more than 150,000 displaced people, supported by airlifts and road shipments from stockpiles in Dubai.