Key reasons to read this article
- Discover why humanitarian agencies are spending far more to deliver the same amount of aid.
- Find out what the crisis means for some of the worst-hit Asian countries.
- Learn how aid organizations are adapting with AI-powered planning tools.
- Understand why fuel and transport disruption matter for governments, donors and aid organizations alike.
Fuel price increases triggered by the ongoing military conflict in the Middle East are significantly affecting humanitarian operations across Asian countries. As transport routes become longer and more expensive, largely due to disruptions via the Strait of Hormuz, humanitarian agencies are facing skyrocketing operational costs at a time when aid budgets are already under pressure.
The result is a growing gap between humanitarian needs and agencies’ abilities to deliver assistance, with millions of vulnerable people at risk of receiving less aid. In March, one month into the Middle East conflict, the World Food Programme (WFP) projected that it could push almost 45 million additional people into acute food insecurity by the middle of 2026.
Triple effect on global humanitarian supply
Taken together, increasing fuel prices, longer transport routes and higher insurance costs are creating a triple effect across humanitarian supply chains, forcing aid agencies to spend more in order to deliver the same level of assistance.
“Rising transport, food and fuel costs disproportionately affect people who are already living in emergencies, including millions of refugees and displaced people who are among the hardest hit, while also reducing the ability of aid agencies to deliver timely assistance,” Carlotta Wolf, UNHCR’s spokesperson, said in May 2026.
Since February 2026, freight rates from nations where relief package items are sourced have increased by almost 18%, while the capacity of UNHCR’s worldwide transport providers has fallen from 97% to 77%.
In March, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) reported that their sea freight costs had increased by over 70%, reaching 300% on certain routes because of the war.
Landlocked realities
John Aylief, WFP’s country director in Afghanistan, told the Guardian in late April that the costs of transporting food aid into the landlocked country had tripled.
He explained that shipments were being transported by road through seven countries from Dubai to Afghanistan to avoid the normally shorter maritime route through the Strait of Hormuz. The alternative route adds approximately three more weeks to delivery times, delaying assistance to vulnerable communities. “Afghan children today are going hungry as a result,” Aylieff said, adding that many could die.
Afghanistan illustrates why fuel disruptions matter far beyond energy markets. For landlocked and aid-dependent countries, longer transport routes translate into higher humanitarian costs, delayed deliveries and fewer people receiving assistance within existing budgets.
Reduced operations in South and Southeast Asia
The operational consequences of the fuel crisis are forcing aid organizations to scale back activities, adapt logistics and stretch already limited budgets.
Malteser International, a relief agency operating in Afghanistan, reported that the operations of six health facilities it supports have been affected by bottlenecks in the delivery of essential supplies and rising gasoline prices. As a result, the facilities are treating 50% fewer patients. In Myanmar, meanwhile, fuel costs have risen by 30%, prompting the relief agency to introduce rationing measures and cut off some projects. In Bangladesh, government restrictions on gasoline and diesel use have also hindered the mobility of Malteser International’s teams.
“The current fuel crisis is among the greatest challenges we have faced in the countries where we operate. Much like during the COVID-19 pandemic, we have to respond simultaneously in all our countries of operation. But the crisis affects not only our work but also, more importantly, the daily lives of local people,” Kees Zevenbergen, a Program Director at Malteser International, said.
In April 2026, Save the Children estimated that every US$5 increase in oil price above pre-conflict projections could add an extra US$340,000 monthly to costs of shipping, fuel, food and medical supplies, which is equivalent to the aid provided to almost 40,000 children on a monthly basis.
The cost of conflict: Surge in humanitarian expenses across Asia
Technological adaptations
Beyond scaling back operations, humanitarian agencies are also rethinking how aid is delivered. Alongside rerouting shipments and adjusting procurement plans, organizations have started relying on digital technologies to improve the efficiency of increasingly complex supply chains.
Ayman Soweilam, a supply chain officer at WFP, says the agency is responding by expanding the use of innovative AI planning tools, including Route the Meals, PRISMA and SCOUT to map out the quickest, most efficient, cost-saving, and safest routes for transporting the much-needed humanitarian aid around the world. The systems analyze real-time logistics data to help planners respond more rapidly to disruptions, reduce transport costs where possible and make better use of limited resources.
The technologies are intended to help offset some of the additional costs created by the conflict, although they cannot fully compensate for higher fuel prices and longer shipping routes, WFP noted.
Government’s response likely to hit social sector
As humanitarian organizations absorb higher logistics costs, governments across the region are facing a parallel challenge: increasing pressure on public finances just as many countries continue to recover from successive economic shocks. In response, governments are combining short-term measures to cushion households with efforts to secure additional financial support and strengthen long-term energy resilience.
To support these efforts, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), for instance, announced in July plans to offer emergency loans, disaster financing, and fast-disbursing budget support to help countries in the region stabilize their economies.
“ADB is moving before shocks become deeper crises. These tools will deliver support faster, give governments more room to act, and keep the focus where it belongs: protecting people, preserving stability, and building stronger energy and food systems,” ADB President Masato Kanda announced.
While emergency financing may help governments cushion the immediate impact of higher fuel prices, economists warn that prolonged energy shocks often force difficult budgetary choices.
Research by the International Monetary Fund has found that countries spending more on fuel subsidies tend to allocate less to health and education, particularly where fiscal space is limited. Rather than relying on broad subsidies, the IMF has recently urged governments to provide targeted support to vulnerable households while preserving resources for essential public services and long-term development investment.
Beyond the emergency crisis
Whether the current disruption proves temporary or prolonged, it has exposed how vulnerable humanitarian operations remain to geopolitical shocks far beyond the countries they are trying to assist.
For aid agencies, the challenge is no longer simply delivering relief but doing so in an increasingly volatile operating environment where conflicts can rapidly reshape transport routes, procurement costs and funding needs.
For governments and development partners alike, the crisis is a reminder that strengthening the resilience of humanitarian supply chains is becoming as important as responding to emergencies themselves.