Medical supplies are stuck in Dubai, as clinics around the world face shortages

Source: NPR

April 6, 2026 1:12 PM ET


It's a critical time for hospitals and clinics in Yemen. The country has a chronic malnutrition problem and ongoing outbreaks of cholera, measles and polio, says Marc Schakal, the program manager for Doctors without Borders. "We are already seeing in our pediatrics an increasing number of admissions. We are reaching 120% bed occupancy," Schakal says.

The group has procured over 100 tons of therapeutic foods to treat severe malnutrition in children under 5. But that, along with other key medications, is stuck in Dubai's Jebel Ali Port, a critical hub for medical and humanitarian supplies.

"Our main priority is to have this therapeutic food arriving in Yemen on time," he says. But the war in Iran has stalled global supplies of fuel, fertilizers and also medical supplies, due to the restriction of shipments in the Strait of Hormuz.

Aid groups are worried. The International Rescue Committee and Save the Children told NPR that clinics and humanitarian centers across the Middle East, Asia and Africa are facing the risk of running out of basic medication and food.

Read more: https://www.npr.org/2026/04/06/nx-s1-5775543/medical-supplies-stuck-dubai-clinics-world-face-shortages