Global humanitarian agency Mercy Corps has accused fuel-importing countries of failing to pass on falling global oil prices to consumers, warning that persistently high pump prices are worsening the cost of living across Africa.

In a new report, the charity said retail fuel prices in several import-dependent economies have not fallen in line with declines in global crude prices following the ongoing Middle East crisis.

The report, From Hormuz to the Frontlines of Hunger: The Middle East War’s Reach into Six Fragile Contexts, found that local pump prices tend to rise within days of global oil spikes but take weeks or months to decline.“Households and retailers across the case set are continuing to pay high prices at the pump, with second-order impacts for food prices, agricultural inputs and humanitarian supply chains,” the report said.

Oil shockBrent crude rose from about $71 per barrel before the conflict to $126.69 on March 31. Prices later reached a daily close of $138.21 on April 7 before falling 11.6 percent to $122.11 a day later following a ceasefire announcement.

According to the report, the monthly average Brent price rose 46 percent between February and March, a more significant benchmark for fuel-importing countries because it reflects transport, insurance and import-related costs.

By April 27–28, Brent prices remained between 46 and 51 percent above pre-war levels.

After retreating from April highs, prices climbed again to $108.11 on April 27 as US-Iran talks stalled and restrictions around the Strait of Hormuz tightened, before easing to around $104 on April 28.

Fragile statesMercy Corps warned that the continuing US-Israel war with Iran is deepening economic and humanitarian stress in fragile states, including Sudan, Somalia and Ethiopia.

Mercy Corps said many of the countries were already grappling with humanitarian crises before the war and had exhausted their capacity to absorb additional shocks.“This coincides with a historic contraction in humanitarian aid, leaving country teams facing higher delivery costs with a weaker funding base,” the report added.

Food pressureThe organisation warned that food insecurity across the six countries is likely to worsen through the second half of 2026 and into 2027.

Somalia, Sudan and Ethiopia are entering key planting seasons for staple crops while facing rising fuel and fertiliser costs that threaten agricultural output and food distribution.

It warned that households dependent on remittances from workers in Gulf states could face further hardship if the conflict persists.

According to Mercy Corps, the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of global seaborne crude passes, remains under severe restrictions, with many commercial operators unwilling to resume Gulf shipping routes without security guarantees.

Sudan remains trapped in a three-year civil war that has produced one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, while Somalia continues to struggle with food import dependence and underfunded relief programmes.

Ethiopia, meanwhile, is grappling with mounting fiscal pressures and rising import costs that predate the regional conflict.

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