In the Strait of Hormuz, some profit from war.

Published on April 18, 2026 at 9:14 PM

Last updated on April 18, 2026 at 10:11 PM

Time to read: 2 min – video: 3 min

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

This is the 49th day of blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. Hundreds of ships are still at anchor, isolated from the rest of the world. We obtained images revealing the hardships endured by some crews and the emergence of a highly profitable 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. “You see that? You see? That’s our food!”, one of the men exclaims.

The food parcels are hoisted aboard the container ship to feed the stranded crew. We 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 makes constant round trips between Port Rashid, its home port, and several stranded ships. We 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 for a kilo of vegetables. Meat is more expensive, $45. That’s three times the usual price.”

Organized crime is beginning to infiltrate the market. “Providers on social networks who have set up their small company, and from a fishing boat or any other vessel roaming the area, will provide food without any health control,” explains Emmanuel Chalard, delegate of the CGT merchant navy officers’ union.

With demand increasing, nearly 20,000 sailors are still stranded. Some ship shelves are emptying, stomachs too. 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 monitoring supplies: “If we calculate, we have 167 tons of water available. Yesterday, we only used 3 tons. We monitor this very closely, every day.” Like the rest of the world, crews are also suffering from the rising fuel prices with each resupply. And still, they have no prospect of improvement.