QOZ NAFISA VILLAGE — The International Rescue Committee said medicine shipments to its public health clinic in the Sudanese village of Qoz Nafisa scheduled for February and April have not arrived, following shipping disruptions connected to the war in Iran. Approximately 5,000 people rely on the clinic, whose last delivery from the aid group was in December.

The clinic had no malaria treatment for several days this month. Sudan's health ministry supplies roughly half of the medicines needed at the facility, with the remainder coming from the IRC.

"When people come to the window, they say, 'Why are you here and there is no medicine?'" said Ahmed Ibrahim, a staffer at the clinic. Some residents who depend on the facility have been searching other clinics and spending their own money to obtain medicines.

Medicine prices at pharmacies in Qoz Nafisa have risen since the war in Iran began, and many pharmacies are out of stock. Abbas Awad has been spacing out his glaucoma medicine because of concerns about future availability and affordability.

Aid groups say the war in Iran has cut off vital shipping routes, disrupting the delivery of food and medicine globally. The standoff between the United States and Iran has shut down the Strait of Hormuz, and routes from strategic hubs such as Dubai have been affected. Transport costs have increased because of higher fuel and insurance rates.

The United Nations says there has been up to a 20% cost increase on shipments, along with delays as goods are rerouted. About $130,000 worth of pharmaceuticals intended for Sudan were stranded in Dubai for weeks before beginning to move. Medicines and supplies including antibiotics, painkillers and stethoscopes that were supposed to be flown from the United Arab Emirates to Port Sudan were instead transported by road to Oman and then flown out.

"There's still a real lag in the system. Shipments remain blocked or delayed, and that's deeply worrying," said Madiha Raza, associate director for global public affairs and communications for the IRC.