Middle East Regional Coordination Meeting Minutes, 07 May 2026

Content

1. Situation Update

The ceasefire between Iran and the United States announced on 8 April 2026 remains in place though the situation remains highly volatile. Ocean freight through the Strait of Hormuz remains restricted as carriers maintain a cautious approach with no service changes at this time.

PORT ACCESS

• Ports in Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, Oman, the Red Sea, and western Saudi Arabia are operational and accessible​.

• Gulf Ports in the UAE, Kuwait, Iran, eastern Saudi Arabia, and Qatar are operational, but access is constrained due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

   

AIRSPACE RESTRICTIONS

• The eastern sector of Iranian airspace is open with restrictions, the western sector is closed. Most major airlines are not operating in Iranian airspace.  ​​
• Direct commercial flights between Iran and Pakistan resumed after a 60‑day suspension, marked by the arrival of a flight from Tehran to Islamabad.​​
• Jordanian airspace remains open; flights to Gulf states have resumed from Amman.​
• ​Additional regional flights to/from Qatar and the UAE have resumed, with intermittent disruptions. Dubai airports maintain 24/7 cargo operations.​​

• UNHAS Afghanistan has commenced operating special flights to and from Islamabad subject to operational feasibility and required approvals for medical evacuations, security relocations, and chartered missions. 

   

FUEL

Brent crude oil averaged to 99 USD/barrel on 7 May. Diesel prices in Lebanon have increased dramatically (more than a 65% increase).

2.  Jordan Lebanon Corridor

• The Lebanon Logistics Cluster is facilitating access to the government to government relief corridor recently opened between Amman, Jordan and Lebanon through a convoy service offered on free to user basis, based on funding and need​​.
• Transportation is arranged by the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization (JHCO), while the Lebanon High Relief Committee (HRC) supports partners with cargo clearance.
• Partners should submit Service Request Forms (SRFs) at least 5 days before the planned convoy dates which are currently planned to take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays​​. Partners are reminded to submit packing lists with the SRF to enable the facilitation of customs clearance by the Jordanian and Lebanese customs authorities. Clearance can take up to 5 days to process. If the SRF and packing list are not submitted in advance, a partners’ cargo will be loaded on the next available convoy.

The final delivery point (FDP) in Lebanon will be determined based on the composition of each convoy and communicated to partners in advance of movement. Please note: 

• Each convoy will deliver to one designated location only.
• Partners will be notified of the FDP once confirmed for each movement.
• Onward transport from the FDP to Logistics Cluster warehouses or alternative locations is the responsibility of partners.
• Partners may request storage at Logistics Cluster facilities, which are available in: 
  • Beirut (Karantina)
  • Bekaa (Zahle)
• The first convoy successfully departed Jordan and was delivered in Lebanon on 07 May 2026. 

3.  Lebanon Cluster Update

• Beirut Airport: Middle East Airlines (MEA) continues to operate with a limited schedule; Fly Dubai and Qatar Airways are operating flights.
• DG ECHO European Union Humanitarian Airbridge (EUHAB): Partners are asked to share their Lebanon-bound cargo transportation needs on Transport by Hulo. Six EUHABs have been completed.
• Partners are asked to continue participating in the Jordan-Lebanon Corridor Planning survey to enable the Logistics & Telecommunications Cluster (LTC) to collect partners’ pipeline information and plans ​for cargo to be transported from Jordan to Lebanon. Partners are asked to share information on both their immediate needs and their anticipated needs within the next three months, as LTC services are informed by feedback received from partners.
• Convoys are taking place on a more frequent basis (21 total convoys since 16 March)​. Four convoys are planned for the week of 11 May 2026.

4.  Afghanistan Cluster Update

Aviation / airspace​

• There has been no official airspace closure impacting humanitarian flights; occasional short-notice restrictions have been reported over eastern Afghanistan. The Logistics Cluster continues to monitor the situation.​
• The availability of Jet A1 fuel fluctuates, but is currently available in the market; prices have increased approximately 40% since the onset of the Middle East crisis.​

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Border crossing points (BCP) / supply corridors​

• Islam Qala remains open and commercial flows continue. Humanitarian movements through this BCP are possible, though the corridor has been assessed as high risk due to regional insecurity.​
• Northern corridor: Hairatan and Torghundi BCPs are now processing most commercial and humanitarian volumes. Hairatan congestion is increasing due to diversion from other routes.​
• Supply route corridor access restrictions of Pakistan-origin cargo remain a key operational constraint, including cargo held in Karachi. Diplomatic discussions between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and OCHA are ongoing regarding the possibility of a humanitarian corridor.​ Currently, approximately 800 containers of Afghanistan-bound humanitarian supplies are held in Karachi Port. Agencies are confirming the cargo destinations, readiness, port release status, and intended crossings (mainly Torkham BCP) for the held cargo.​

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Supply Chain Mitigation​

• Partners are diversifying routing and increasingly making use of northern entry points while planning for multi-route procurement.​
• Partners are strengthening pipeline monitoring and forward planning for critical commodities.​

​5. Syria Logistics Cluster Update

• All ports in Syria are operational. Damascus and Aleppo airports are operational though with limited or no cargo capacity. Deir Ezzour and Qamishli airports may be reopened in the near future.
• A World Bank project to rehabilitate the Syrian railway infrastructure is planned.​
• The Syria Logistics Capacity Assessment exercise is ongoing.
• The humanitarian partners’ storage capacity assessment is ongoing​​.
• The Government of Syria announced the creation and/or expansion of several BCPs that will become accessible in the coming weeks:
• The contruction of three new BCPs between Lebanon and Syria (Jisr Qamarjin, Dabousieh, Arida bridge); opening new crossing a Yabous BC
• Between Syria and Iraq (Al‑Tanf)
• Rehabilitation of the Qamishli BCP between Turkiye and Syria; expansion of Bab al‑Hawa, Salameh, Al‑Rai, and Jarabulus.
• Expansion of the Nassib BCP between Jordan and Syria.

6. Partner Updates & Questions

• Based on a partner query, it was confirmed that partners in Ethiopia can make use of the Green Corridor in the UAE and Oman to enable shipments departing from Omani ports bound for East Africa. 

7. Any Other Business

• As part of a regional information gathering exercise led by OCHA, partners are asked to share any logistics/supply chain-related analyses or risk analyses that their organisations have conducted within the region or with a regional focus.
• Katherine Ely is departing as Regional Logistics Coordinator on 14 May 2026.
• The date of the next regional coordination meeting will be communicated to partners.
• The upstream pipeline survey is still available for partners to share their operational plans: https://ee-eu.kobotoolbox.org/x/kXmev4sC.
• All the documents and links related to the regional crisis can be found on the dedicated Logistics Cluster page which can be accessed from the home page of the website.

The next Middle East Regional Coordination Meeting will be communicated via the mailing list.

Contacts