Many leaders of pharmaceutical companies and logistics companies said that the war in the Middle East is disrupting the flow of essential medicines to the Gulf region, The Japan Times reported on March 16.
This situation threatens the route of supplying cancer drugs and treatments that require cold storage, forcing businesses to reroute flights and find alternative roads.
Attacks between the US, Israel and Iran in recent times have destroyed many key air transshipment hubs and closed sea transport routes. Fighting has disrupted the circulation of goods from medicine to food.
Although there are no signs of a major shortage, the situation could worsen if the conflict lasts. The Gulf region is heavily dependent on imported drugs. Many drugs have short shelves and require strict cold storage, making road transport solutions unrealistic.
Operations at a series of major airports here such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha are disrupted. These are major cargo transit points connecting Europe with Asia and Africa, where airlines and logistics companies process temperature-sensitive drugs.
Professor Wouter Dewulf at Antwerp School of Management (Belgium) warned that more than 1/5 of global aviation cargo is facing the risk of disruption. Meanwhile, the establishment of alternative "cold supply chains" routes cannot be implemented overnight.
The leader of a pharmaceutical company said they have established internal groups to prioritize essential shipments, especially cancer drugs. The companies are rerouting European-Asian shipments through China or Singapore instead of through the Gulf. The sea route is currently unfeasible because Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz.
Mr. Prashant Yadav, an expert at the Council on Foreign Relations (USA), emphasized that the amount of temperature-sensitive and expensive drugs is usually only enough for about 3 months. Cancer drugs are in the highest risk group. Delays can have devastating consequences, forcing patients to start treatment again.
Many customers warn that they may run out of supply in the next 4 to 6 weeks. To cope, transportation companies are flying to Jeddah, Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) and Oman, then using trucks to access the final market. However, rerouting means longer transportation times and sharper costs.
Experts believe the risk will increase if the disruption continues. Mr. David Weeks from Moody's rating agency noted: "It's not always a shortage of the drug itself." He further explained: "In some cases, the knot lies in the small button on the medicine bottle where the dosage is extracted.
