Humanitarian groups said the conflict has forced them to reroute shipments through longer and more expensive pathways, with transport costs rising sharply due to increased fuel prices and insurance premiums.

The disruption has compounded existing financial strain following reductions in U.S. foreign aid.The World Food Programme said tens of thousands of metric tons of food are currently delayed in transit.

The International Rescue Committee reported that pharmaceuticals intended for Sudan are stranded in Dubai, while hundreds of boxes of therapeutic food meant for malnourished children in Somalia remain stuck in India.

The United Nations Population Fund said it has also delayed shipments of medical equipment to 16 countries, underscoring the scale of the disruption.The United Nations described the situation as the most significant supply chain shock since the COVID-19 pandemic, with costs increasing by up to 20% as shipments are rerouted and delayed.

Aid agencies are increasingly relying on a combination of land, air and sea transport to bypass affected routes. UNICEF said it has shifted vaccine deliveries to Iran via Turkiye by air and road, adding about 10 days to delivery times and increasing costs by roughly 20%.

Save the Children said it has altered supply routes to Sudan, including overland transport through Saudi Arabia and barge crossings of the Red Sea, increasing delivery times by about 10 days and costs by approximately 25%.

The delays risk disrupting supplies to more than 90 primary health care facilities in Sudan.The Doctors Without Borders said rising fuel prices in Somalia have increased transport and food costs, limiting access to care for populations already facing severe food insecurity.Aid groups warned that the impact on global hunger could worsen significantly.

The World Food Programme said that if the conflict continues through June, an additional 45 million people could face acute hunger, adding to nearly 320 million already affected worldwide.The disruption also threatens agricultural production, with around 30% of global fertilizer supplies passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

Countries such as Sudan and Kenya rely heavily on imports from the Gulf, raising concerns about planting seasons in regions including East Africa and South Asia.

The United Nations said it has established a task force to facilitate fertilizer trade, but aid agencies cautioned that without a ceasefire and increased funding, humanitarian operations may struggle to meet rising needs.

The United States said it remains a leading contributor to global humanitarian assistance and announced an additional $50 million in emergency aid to Lebanon, including support for the World Food Programme, as it works with international partners to address the growing crisis.

“Coming from a medical background, I’m naturally optimistic,” Al-Rabeeah told Arab News on the sidelines of the 80th UN General Assembly in New York. “With increasing acceptance of Palestine by many countries, particularly in the West, we are moving closer to achieving a durable solution.”

The High-Level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine, co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France, led to the adoption of the New York Declaration—a comprehensive roadmap outlining timebound, actionable steps to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Endorsed by the UN General Assembly with overwhelming support, the declaration provides a multi-dimensional framework covering political governance, security, humanitarian assistance, economic recovery, and legal accountability. Key measures include an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, reunification with the West Bank under the Palestinian Authority (excluding Hamas), a temporary UN-led stabilization mission, and a halt to Israeli settlement expansion.

“The people of Palestine have endured immense suffering for many years,” Al-Rabeeah said. “The two-state solution remains the only viable path for long-term peace and a brighter future for Palestinians.”

Al-Rabeeah also highlighted global humanitarian challenges, ahead of a high-level UN meeting on displaced populations. With over 130 million people displaced worldwide and donor fatigue threatening aid efforts, he called for renewed international commitment.

“We face multiple crises — in Sudan, Ukraine, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and beyond,” he noted. “This meeting is essential to highlight the urgency of resolving ongoing crises, preventing new ones, and ensuring a better future for refugees and displaced communities.”

Mohamed Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud was driving a Somali consulate car on Nov. 30 when he hit a motorcycle courier in central Istanbul, seriously injuring him. He left the country on Dec. 2, following police interrogation. An arrest warrant was issued for him after the courier died in hospital on Dec. 6.

Tunc told reporters in Ankara that he discussed the incident with his Somali counterpart, and that Somali authorities were approaching the matter “with good intentions”.

“We held meetings with the Somali judicial authorities. In the coming days, the defendant will come to Turkey and the trial process will take place,” Tunc said, adding he hoped the trial would begin soon.

A Turkish official told Reuters this week that Ankara, which has good ties with Somalia, had sought information from Somali authorities on the issue and the use of a diplomatic car.

Somali officials have not commented on the issue.

The son, Mohamed Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud, was driving a vehicle belonging to the Somali consulate on Nov. 30, when he hit a motorcycle courier in central Istanbul, seriously injuring him, Turkish media have said.

He was using a car carrying a diplomatic licence plate at the time of the accident, said the Turkish official, who spoke on condition of anonymity as the investigation is still underway.

“Someone who does not have diplomatic status has no right to use these vehicles,” the official added. “Information was requested about this (from Somalia).”

In the absence of “immunity or diplomatic exceptionality”, it made no difference that the Somali president’s son was driving a vehicle with a diplomatic plate, the official said, adding that Turkey’s justice ministry was handling the process.

Somali officials were not immediately available for comment.

The Somali president’s son left Turkey on Dec. 2, after his release from police interrogation, while the 38-year-old motorcyclist, Yunus Emre Gocer, remained in hospital, an Istanbul prosecutor’s office said on Friday.

But after the latter’s death in hospital on Dec. 6, an international arrest warrant was issued for the Somali president’s son, the prosecutor’s office said.

An investigation has been launched into the police officers who performed an initial assessment of the accident, Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said on social media platform X on Sunday.

Media reports of the incident have sparked a public outcry in Turkey, which has good ties with Somalia.

“We said we will follow the judicial process, but the suspect walked away,” Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu said on Friday in a post on X.

The council put the embargo on Somalia in 1992 to cut the flow of weapons to feuding warlords, who had ousted dictator Mohamed Siad Barre and plunged the Horn of Africa country into civil war.

The 15-member body adopted two British-drafted resolutions: one to remove the full arms embargo on Somalia and another to reimpose an arms embargo on al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab militants.

The resolution lifting the arms embargo spells out “for the avoidance of doubt, that there is no arms embargo on the Government of the Federal Republic of Somalia.”

It also expresses concern about the number of safe ammunition storage facilities in Somalia, and encourages the construction, refurbishment and use of safe ammunition depots across Somalia. It urges other countries to help.

“The lifting of the arms embargo enables us to confront security threats,” said Somalia’s U.N. Ambassador Abukar Dahir Osman. “It also allows us to bolster the capacity of the Somali security forces by accessing lethal arms and equipment to adequately safeguard our citizens and our nation.”

Al Shabaab has been waging a brutal insurgency against the Somali government since 2006 to try to establish its own rule based on a strict interpretation of Islamic Sharia law.

Somalia’s government had long asked for the arms embargo to be removed so it could beef up its forces to take on the militants. The Security Council began to partially start lifting measures Somalia’s security forces in 2013.

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said last week that Somalia has one year to expel al Shabaab, with the deadline for remaining African Union peacekeepers to leave looming in December 2024.

The so-called staff-level agreement under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) is subject to approval from the fund’s board. It is to help Somalia’s economic institutions put together policies for when it reaches the point it can achieve debt relief under the fund’s Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Completion scheme, aimed for December.

“However, despite the progress achieved, Somalia faces significant challenges ahead, including those stemming from economic, social, security, and climate risks,” Laura Jaramillo, who headed a team that conducted a review on Somalia, said in a statement.

“Growth is currently insufficient to reduce widespread poverty, address large social needs, and create sufficient jobs for the youth. Somalia is highly vulnerable to climate shocks that hurt growth and hinder poverty reduction efforts.”

Somalia’s government has been fighting the al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab group since 2006. The group, which aims to overthrow the government, has been carrying out frequent gun and bomb attacks that also target peacekeeping troops supporting the government.

The country has also over the years experienced bouts of drought and floods that have led to thousands being displaced.

Police put the number of dead at five. Al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab group claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement on its Arabic media unit Shahada News Agency, the SITE Intelligence Group reported on Friday. It put the number of dead at 11 and wounded at 18; its numbers on casualties in attacks often differ from government figures.

The Friday afternoon blast occurred at a checkpoint on a road leading to the parliament and the president’s office and the shop is frequented by soldiers, the witness said.

The witness and medical personnel who were at the scene put the number of dead at seven and the wounded at up to eight.

Sadik Ali, the police spokesperson, said the blast killed five people and wounded six others, adding the bomber was a member of al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab.

“He killed five people … who were all drinking tea. The suicide bomber was one of the Kharijite terrorists,” Ali said in a statement, using the term the government uses to refer to al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab group.

“I have counted and helped transport seven dead people and six others wounded, most of them soldiers,” Ahmed Ali, a witness at the scene of the explosion, told Reuters.

In June, al Shabaab, which aims to topple the central government and impose its own strict interpretation of Islamic law, killed 54 Ugandan soldiers at their base southwest of Mogadishu.

But Bilan, the media house where Ahmed works as chief editor, is far from a punchline, producing a daily mix of hard news and in-depth features for local and sometimes international audiences.

In its almost 18 months of operation Bilan, which means “to shine a light”, has overcome prejudice and insecurity to illuminate some of the most taboo subjects in Somalia, including a female drug epidemic, albinism, women living with HIV and period shame.

“Sometimes my soul tells me I cannot continue the work because of insecurity and societal pressure. However, it is a career that I loved since my childhood and a dream which still lives in me,” Ahmed said.

Although it is supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), success has not come easy or risk-free for Ahmed and her team.

With more than 50 journalists killed since 2010, Somalia is the most dangerous country for journalists in Africa, according to Reporters Without Borders.

The Committee to Protect Journalists ranks Somalia last in its Global Impunity Index, which measures the number of unsolved journalist murders as a percentage of a country’s population.

As a deeply patriarchal society, some people find it difficult to discuss women’s issues publicly, Ahmed said. Others complain Bilan’s stories blemish the country’s reputation.

“We know Somalis, for them girls’ issues are shameful,” she said. “For example, signs of adolescence like menstruation, periods. Girls are not taught the symptoms of womanhood in the classroom.”

A story about the stigma surrounding menstruation became one of Bilan’s most viral when it was broadcast earlier this year, garnering more than 130,000 views and dozens of comments on Facebook.

“I used to feel fear when I wanted to share my personal problems with the teacher. I failed to express my problem,” said Maria Abdullahi Jama, a 19-year-old student at Bondhere School in Mogadishu. “I urge students not to feel shame and fear.”

The story prompted the Ministry of Women to offer to work together on an advocacy campaign, and has won over at least one Islamic cleric, a group that often holds the most conservative views in Somali society.

“It is good to give awareness to the girls about period and how to stay clean so they see it as something natural that all women have,” said Sheikh Abdi Hayi, who preaches at the Omar Ibnu Khadab Mosque.

Bilan has revolutionised the news agenda in Somalia, said Abdallah Al Dardari, director of the United Nations Development Programme Regional Bureau for Arab States.

“With their unique voice and the growing reach of the Bilan Media brand, they’re creating a demand for change and better treatment of women and girls that can’t be ignored,” Al Dardari said.

During the meeting, the officials engaged in fruitful discussions regarding aid efforts, as well as reviewed the progress and developments of KSrelief’s ongoing projects in Somalia. The focus of the talks was to explore ways to further enhance and expand the humanitarian initiatives in the region.

Expressing their gratitude, the visiting delegation commended Saudi Arabia’s continuous support and humanitarian assistance extended to those in need around the world, particularly the people of Somalia. The delegation acknowledged the vital role played by KSrelief in delivering essential aid and relief to populations affected by crises and disasters.

KSrelief, under the guidance and patronage of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has been at the forefront of providing humanitarian aid and relief to numerous countries, including Somalia. The center has implemented various projects aimed at addressing urgent needs in areas such as health, education, food security, and shelter.

The visit of the Somali delegation to KSrelief’s headquarters further strengthens the bonds of cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Somalia in the field of humanitarian assistance. It highlights the shared commitment to alleviating human suffering and promoting stability and development in the region.

Saudi Arabia’s humanitarian efforts have earned international recognition for their impact and effectiveness. The Kingdom has consistently demonstrated its dedication to extending a helping hand to those affected by crises, conflicts, and natural disasters, regardless of geographical boundaries or political affiliations.

The collaboration between KSrelief and Somalia exemplifies the spirit of solidarity and compassion that underpins international humanitarian work. As KSrelief continues to expand its reach and enhance its operations, it remains committed to alleviating the suffering of vulnerable populations and fostering sustainable development in line with Saudi Arabia’s vision for a better future.

The visit of the Somali delegation serves as a testament to the significance of international cooperation in addressing humanitarian challenges. It reinforces the commitment of both Saudi Arabia and Somalia to working together to tackle the pressing needs of communities affected by crises, and to build a more resilient and prosperous future for all.

Under the deal, 24 solar-powered artesian wells will be drilled, and 20 existing wells will be restored. This initiative not only addresses the immediate need for clean water but also ensures a sustainable and renewable source of drinking water for over 1 million Somalis.

Dr. Abdullah Saleh Al-Moallem, the director of KSRelief’s health and environmental aid department, highlighted that the project goes beyond water provision. An educational program on sanitation and hygiene will be implemented, along with training for water resource management committees on well operation and maintenance.

The investment in clean water infrastructure is part of the Saudi Aid Platform’s efforts, reflecting the Kingdom’s commitment to humanitarian assistance in Somalia. To date, Saudi Arabia has contributed over $400 million to various humanitarian projects in the country.

Furthermore, KSRelief has recently launched projects worth $190 million across multiple sectors, including community support, health, emergency relief, food provision, malnutrition prevention, and empowerment. These initiatives demonstrate the Kingdom’s comprehensive approach to addressing the needs of vulnerable populations and supporting sustainable development.

The $5 million water initiative is just one of many endeavors undertaken by the Kingdom through KSRelief to provide assistance to those in need. By focusing on vital areas such as clean water, Saudi Arabia aims to improve living conditions and enhance the well-being of communities facing challenging circumstances.

The collaboration between the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center and the Somali civil society organization exemplifies the importance of international partnerships in tackling humanitarian crises. Together, they are making a significant difference in the lives of drought-affected communities in Somalia by ensuring access to a fundamental resource: clean drinking water.