He noted that the crisis has virtually stopped air travel and seriously limited the operation of seaports in the Middle East, which greatly constrains the supply of goods, especially perishables.
According to Paul, the forced downtime affected about 18% of global air cargo capacity. Transport of temperature-controlled pharmaceuticals, fresh fruits and other products with a short shelf life were affected. Since most products in the region are imported, supplies can quickly run out.
Shipping is also challenging, with about 100 container ships stranded in the Gulf area and ships avoiding passage through the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for grain and food shipments. Earlier, the Danish company Maersk suspended the acceptance and dispatch of cargo in the Gulf countries, including the UAE, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Iraq.
Logistics companies are trying to look for alternative routes – for example, delivering cargo by plane to Saudi Arabia with subsequent transportation by road. However, as Paul noted, such schemes are extremely complex: one container ship can transport up to 20 thousand containers, and it is almost impossible to replace such volumes with trucks.
