he World Health Organization is finding other routes to deliver emergency medical supplies from its Dubai hub to crises such as Lebanon via long overland journeys, an official said, but rising fuel costs could hamper shipments if the
Iran war persists.
The global health body's aid shipments from the United Arab Emirates were previously completely frozen as air, sea and land routes were
restricted by the Iran conflict, which began on February 28 with U.S.-Israeli air strikes.
Iran responded by firing drones and missiles at energy and other infrastructure across the Gulf, while militant group Hezbollah pulled Lebanon into the regional war by firing on Israel in support of its patron Iran.
To tackle the shipment problems, the UAE has provided funding to truck supplies like insulin and emergency kits to Lebanon - where over 3,000 people have been
wounded - via Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Syria as well as funding to charter flights to other hotspots like Kabul, Afghanistan, said the WHO official.
"What you're getting is cost increases and lead time increases as we do the workarounds," Paul Molinaro, WHO head of Operations, Support and Logistics, told Reuters on Thursday. A UAE official confirmed it was providing partners with support.
