Middle East Regional Coordination Meeting Minutes, 26 March 2026

Content

1. Situation Update

INCREASED POPULATION MOVEMENT

Based on the UNHCR situation update on 24 March, there are continued population movements and displacement across the Middle East, including over 160,000 refugees returning to Syria, 24,000 Lebanese crossing into Syria, and over one million displaced in Lebanon, with 130,000 sheltering in collective sites.  An estimated 2-3 million people are internally displaced in Iran.  In Afghanistan, 115,000 people are displaced compounded with the ongoing returnee crisis. 

2. Logistics Update

AIRSPACE RESTRICTIONS

Airspace remains closed in Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, and Kuwait.  Some countries in the region are operating with restrictions and intermittent closures of their airspace (including Isreal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and UAE). 

UNHRD shared that in Dubai, charter flights are available but prices are high and restrictions exist for certain goods in transit.

PORT ACCESS AND OPERATIONS

Access to gulf ports is heavily restricted.  The Port of Beirut is operational, Jebel Ali and Sharjah in UAE are operational, and the Port of Salalah in Oman has resumed full capacity. 

WFP shipping team reported that schedule reliability has been affected by port closures and network redesigns.  There are significantly longer transit times and reduced capacity globally due to rerouting, effects are seen in Asia and East Africa.  Emergency freight rates have been introduced for several Gulf cooridors to cover rerouting, storgage and contingencies and can be between $100 and $450 per container. WFP is negotiating waivers or reductions for these surcharges at the global level.

FUEL

Crude oil prices are still over $100 per barrel, thought there was a very small decrease (4%) in price from 24 March.  Some surcharges are coming into effect including a global Emergency Bunker Surcharge reported by the WFP shipping team.

CUSTOMS BETWEEN OMAN AND UAE

The ‘Green Corridor’ between Oman and UAE is is now open as a multi-modal shipping lane for export and shipment of cargo from UAE through Oman.

3.  Country Clusters Updates

Updates were shared from the Logistics Cluster operations and working groups in the region.

AFGHANISTAN

Limited routing options to reach Afghanistan: 

• The southern corridor (Pakistan) remains closed since October 2025.  Containerized cargo is continuing to accumulate at ports and warehouses with related charges compounding. 
• The recent escalation in Iran and the rest of the region has effectively paused the usability of the usual alternate route through Iran for humanitarian consignments.
• Agencies are testing multi-modal « Lapis Lazuli » route via Mersin, Turkiye with overand transport via Georgia – Azerbaijan – Turkmenistan (Caspian Sea) into Afghanistan. There are planned trials of the overland route from UAE – Saudi Arabia – Jordan – Syria – Turkiye and then proceeding the same route detailed above.

Early indications suggest transport costs through the UAE to the « Lapis Lazuli » route are 1,300% higher than the previous Iran/Pakistan corridor forwarding rates.  Lead times have also increased from approximately 10 days via Iran to 25 days via the Turkiye and northern routes and up to 65 days via Cape of Good Hope into the northern corridor.

LEBANON

In Lebanon the Logistics and Telecommunications Cluster (LCT) team is coordinating regionally to monitor supply routes, assess risks – including fuel availability and rising prices – and develop alternative plans for possible pipelines or entry point disruptions.  They are also working to consolidate information on access updates, border crossing conditions, and operational constraints.  There have been increased physical access challenges due to the targeted destruction of bridges.

Common logistics services have been established for partners :

• Warehousing : Storage and cargo consolidation in Beirut and the Zahle consolidation point under setup to support alternative convoy routes.
• Convoys : Several convoys have been postponed due to negative security clearance notifications, limiting timely delivery to priority areas.

SYRIA

All Syria border crossings are open except those with Iraq. Damascus Airport remains closed. Humanitarian trucks are exempted from cross-loading at key crossings into Lebanon, provided proper documentation is included. Coordination with Lebanon is ongoing, and a survey will be launched to assess stock and commodity capacity in Syria, with WFP having procured fuel for partners on a cost-recovery basis.

4. Telecommunications Update

IRAN

• Complete blackout on telecommunications services since 15 March.  Some partial local ISP services were reported on 19 March but connectivity remains unstable.
• Humanitarian personnel rely on landlines and other residual channels for essential communication.

LEBANON

• A telecommunications lead deployed on 15 March.
• Telecommunications situation is stable but they are conducting assessments for service in communities.

PALESTINE

• Limited presence in office, otherwise buisness as usual.

AFGHANISTAN

• A fiber cut from the Pakistan side not yet resolved, but Afghanistan is stable to get connectivity through other routes.

5. Partners Update

• Questions were raised on the scope of information sharing, emphasizing the need to capture secondary and tertiary impacts of the crisis, such as effects on supply chains in Sudan, East Africa, and Myanmar due to disruptions in Dubai and fuel shortages.
• Participants discussed the need for consolidated information on alternative shipping and overland routes, with suggestions to map and share successful corridors for use by other organizations. 
• Partners requested regular updates on market assessments, customs procedures, and air bridge operations.
• Follow up with UNHRD colleagues requested regarding the feasibility and experience of overland transport from UAE via Saudi Arabia to Jeddah port and onwards to Sudan, specifically for medical items.

6. Any Other Business

• The upstream pipeline survey is still available for partners to share their operational plans: https://ee-eu.kobotoolbox.org/x/kXmev4sC
• The new Logistics Cluster website was launched.  All the documents and links related to the regional crisis can still be found on a dedicated page which can be access from the home page of the website.

The next Middle East Regional Coordination Meeting will be held on 2 April 2026.

Contacts