In the Strait of Hormuz, some benefit from the war

Published on 18/04/2026 at 21:14 – Updated 18/04/2026 at 22:11

While nearly 20,000 sailors are still stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, war profiteers are offering resupply services at exorbitant prices. Decryption.

This text corresponds to part of the transcription of the above report. Click on the video to watch it in full.

It is the 49th day of blockage in the Strait of Hormuz. Hundreds of ships are still at a standstill, isolated from the rest of the world. We have obtained images revealing the hardships experienced by some crews and the emergence of a very lucrative resupply network. The video was filmed from a blocked container ship. It is approached by a small boat loaded with packages. Relief for the Chinese crew. “Do you see that? Do you see it? That’s our food!”, one of the men exclaims.

The food packages are transported by crane aboard the container ship to feed the stranded crew. We have identified the resupply ship. Its name? Dulsco, flying the flag of the United Arab Emirates. On a maritime traffic tracking application, we found it, located in Dubai. It is making constant round trips between Port Rashid, its home port, and several stranded vessels. We have identified several similar companies based in Emirati ports. Since the start of the blockade, some have significantly increased the prices of their deliveries, according to a Chinese sailor we were able to contact: “$1.88 for a bottle of water, $24 per kilo of vegetables. Meat is more expensive, $45. It’s three times the usual price.”

A black market is starting to emerge. “Service providers on social networks who have set up their own small company, and from a fishing boat or any other vessel drifting in the area will provide food without any health control”, explains Emmanuel Chalard, CGT union delegate for merchant navy officers.

Because demand is increasing, nearly 20,000 sailors are still stranded. The shelves of some ships are emptying, as are the stomachs. Some sailors say they are forced to fish to have something to eat. Even more critical is the need to conserve fresh water. Crew members film themselves, meticulously keeping track: “If we calculate, we have 167 tons of water available. Yesterday, we only used 3 tons. We monitor it very closely, every day.” Like the rest of the world, crews are also suffering from rising fuel prices with each refueling. And they still have no prospect of improvement.