Blocked shipping lanes slow relief as Middle East war’s toll on children grows, aid group says
LONDON: Save the Children warned on Monday that more than five months into the Middle East conflict, children across the region continue to pay the highest price, with many killed, injured, displaced or cut off from healthcare, education and protection.
Compounding the crisis, the London-based charity said, is disruption caused by the conflict in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route, and the Bab Al-Mandab Strait, which connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, slowing the delivery of humanitarian assistance.
“Children are directly impacted by blocked routes and restricted maritime traffic,” said Ahmad Alhendawi, Save the Children’s regional director for the Middle East, North Africa and Eastern Europe.
“Disruption is delaying humanitarian supplies and driving up the cost of food, fuel, and medicine. These waterways must remain open and safe for civilian and humanitarian traffic.”
