The World Health Organization is resorting to lengthy overland routes to move emergency medical supplies out of its Dubai logistics hub as the regional conflict tied to Iran constrains normal transport corridors, a WHO official said.
The agency's shipments from the United Arab Emirates had been effectively halted at the outset of the confrontation, when air, sea and land routes were restricted after the conflict began on February 28 with U.S.-Israeli air strikes. Iran then responded by firing drones and missiles at energy and other infrastructure across the Gulf, and the militant group Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the regional fighting by firing on Israel in support of Iran.
To maintain aid flows, the UAE has provided funding to move supplies such as insulin and emergency kits by truck to Lebanon - where more than 3,000 people have been wounded - routing consignments via Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Syria, according to a WHO official. The UAE has also funded charter flights to other hotspots, including Kabul, Afghanistan.
"What you7re getting is cost increases and lead time increases as we do the workarounds,"said Paul Molinaro, WHO head of Operations, Support and Logistics, in an interview on Thursday. He warned that although the UAE support is helping to unblock some shipments, smaller medical consignments remain stranded in Dubai and the backlog has not fully cleared.
Molinaro noted that two shipping companies have waived insurance surcharges, a measure that has eased some financial pressure on moving supplies. Still, the logistics workarounds mean higher transport costs and longer delivery timelines for vital medical goods.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has also planned to truck ambulances from Dubai to Lebanon. That operation, the federation said, is facing higher road costs - up around 30% - in addition to border delays that complicate transit.
Asked about the prospect of drug shortages, Molinaro said his primary concern was not immediate stock depletion of medicines but the knock-on effect of rising oil prices. He warned that higher fuel prices could lead to exhausted fuel stocks in poorer countries and leave aid consignments stranded.
"You could be seeing serious issues 6 to 8 weeks down the line,"Molinaro said, adding:
"I think we7re going to feel that quicker than shortages of drugs and of plastics and of equipment."
Context and operational impact
The shift to overland trucking and selective charters shows how humanitarian logistics are adapting under constrained transport conditions. However, the changes come with higher costs, longer lead times and increased exposure to border-related delays and fuel market volatility.