Red Cross warns of long-term aftershocks from Strait of Hormuz closure into 2027

Yasmine Praz Dessimoz, director of operations at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), warned on the sidelines of the Dubai International Humanitarian Aid conference that the ripple effects of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz due to the Iran war will be felt well into 2027. Before the conflict began on February 28, approximately 20 percent of global crude oil was shipped through the waterway. Ms. Dessimoz highlighted that global inflation and disruptions in the production and delivery of fertilizers will have a significant impact on harvests through late 2026 and 2027. She noted that concrete examples of these effects are already visible, such as drastic fuel shortages in Myanmar and the Horn of Africa. The ICRC official also addressed the immense strain on aid workers in conflict zones like Gaza, Ukraine, and Somalia, noting that global funding cuts have forced the organization to make difficult choices regarding which communities to support. Emphasizing the necessity of neutrality in an increasingly polarized world, she reported that over 1,000 humanitarian workers have been killed in the last three years, stressing that safeguarding the trust and security of aid personnel is paramount to their life-saving missions.