Global Disruptions Are Testing How the World Moves Goods and People

IMF Blog, April 29, 2026

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The war in the Middle East has severely disrupted maritime and air traffic, damaging infrastructure and interrupting transport corridors that are critical for global energy and goods.
Attacks on shipping that began in 2023 forced many vessels to reroute around Africa rather than use the Suez Canal.
More than two years on, transits through the Bab el-Mandeb strait between Yemen and Djibouti remain stuck at roughly half their pre-attack level.
The future of Strait of Hormuz transits and regional air traffic remains unknown.

The Chart of the Week illustrates that Bab el-Mandeb transits are at roughly half their pre-attack level, despite attacks beginning in 2023 and changes persisting more than two years on.
Rerouting around Africa replaced Suez Canal transits for many vessels, increasing voyage distances and complexity.

As the April 2026 World Economic Outlook details, shipping and air disruptions:
- slow trade,
- raise costs along supply chains, and
- hit tourism-dependent and import-reliant economies hardest.
Consumers experience higher prices on food and essentials.
Lower-income households bear the largest share of the cost increases.
If Hormuz transits and regional flights recover slowly like the Bab el-Mandeb path, the drag on growth will persist long after the fighting stops.

Policies that strengthen the resilience of transport networks are now central to:
- sustaining growth, and
- protecting livelihoods.
Strengthening transport network resilience should be prioritized given persistent disruptions and the prospect of slow recoveries for key maritime and air corridors.

IMF Blog Editors, April 29, 2026 — Global Disruptions Are Testing How the World Moves Goods and People