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David Miliband, President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee (IRC), told an audience at RUSI that supply constraints resulting from the Iran war, a sharp drop in international aid budgets, and the fragmentation of the global order were severely degrading the security and stability of fragile states.

The former UK Foreign Secretary said the impact of price rises and supply constraints caused by the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz − and the resultant shortage of fertilisers and rising fuel and transport costs − were being felt most acutely in states already afflicted by conflict, notably Sudan, Somalia, Yemen, Afghanistan and the Sahel.

He said:

“Whether we're talking about Ukraine, the Middle East, Sudan, it's clear once again that the line between geopolitics, security, and humanitarian consequences is within one… The forgotten victims of the war in Iran are actually living in the Sahel or they're living in Somalia. The IRC saw the effects directly across many of the countries where we operate.”

He added:

“In Yemen, shipping insurance premiums surged by 400 percent and imported goods rose sharply in price. In Somalia, clinics rationed therapeutic food for severely malnourished children because supply chains had broken down. In Sudan, emergency humanitarian supplies previously routed through Dubai had to be rerouted at far greater cost. Afghanistan saw the cost of imported goods triple as aid agencies lost access to direct transit routes through Iran.”

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