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Strait of Hormuz is nearly empty, and the hungry countries downstream are paying for it
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has almost stopped. Only 3 ships a day passed it last week, down from 102 a year earlier (IMF PortWatch, week 19–25 Oct 2026), as the Iran-US-Israel war that opened on 28 February continues. US strikes hit an Iranian island just ahead of the midterm elections (BBC, 4 Nov 2026). Sudan's civil war and Ethiopia's Amhara fighting grind on. Cyclone Murasu has crossed India: about 1.5 million people faced winds of 120 km/h or stronger (GDACS, 3 Nov 2026). Russia attacked an aid centre, a hospice and a hospital in Ukraine, and the death toll is rising (BBC, 4 Nov 2026).
For people in the Horn of Africa and Yemen, the Hormuz collapse matters twice. Gulf imports, fuel and aid funding all flow through the region, and a war that stops the tankers raises the price of everything. Sudan needs 33.7 million people assisted in 2026 (OCHA), and Yemen's currency has collapsed while its civil war killed 5,436 people in the year to 30 September 2026 (UCDP). Drought now stretches from Sudan and Ethiopia to Kenya and Chad (GDACS, 1 Nov 2026). Agencies serving these countries should budget now for costlier shipping and fuel, and keep food stocks positioned before the lean season.
Watch items
- Iran — US strikes could deepen Hormuz closure and Gulf food imports
- India — Cyclone Murasu aftermath: flood risk for millions inland
- Sudan — RSF occupation could spread famine-scale hunger further