logo
episode-header-image
Aug 2024
17m 28s

The cost of the Red Sea crisis

Bbc World Service
About this episode

We catch up on the ongoing disruption to the shipping industry after Houthi attacks on commercial vessels.

The Iran-backed group said it was targeting ships linked to Israel, the US and the UK in support of Hamas.

We look at the cost of diverting cargo away from the Red Sea, and hear about the impact of months of disruption.

Plus a new remote shipping route is getting more traffic, as ships travel over the top of the world via the Arctic.

Produced and presented by Rick Kelsey

(Image: A Houthi military helicopter flies over a ship in the Red Sea. Credit: Reuters)

Up next
Today
Monetising Machu Picchu
<p>Peru is home to Machu Picchu - the ancient Inca city in the Andes mountains. </p><p>It's one of the seven wonders of the world, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The popular tourist destination attracts millions of visitors, making it very lucrative for the government, local a ... Show More
17m 38s
Nov 21
What happens when the aid money runs out?
<p>In the second of our two-part series on tightening aid budgets, Sam Fenwick explores what shrinking donor support means for global health — from the sudden halt to major US-funded projects, to the pressure on low-income countries to increase their own health spending.</p><p>As ... Show More
17m 30s
Nov 20
What's next for USAID funded projects?
<p>We examine the fallout from the cuts to US foreign aid.</p><p>We meet projects in Rwanda and Nepal that were close to shutting down - and hear the story of a mystery donor who stepped in to keep them going. </p><p>But how long will the support last? </p><p>Presented and produ ... Show More
17m 28s
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2024
Episode 72: The Red Sea Crisis
<p>In the latest episode of Freight to the Point, we’ve featured our most recent webinar, recorded on 10th January on the Red Sea Crisis. Carriers have suspended vessels from passing through the Bab al-Mandab strait after the recent attacks by the Houthis which has had implicatio ... Show More
18m 2s
Jan 2024
High tension on the Red Sea
Yemen’s Houthi militias are attacking commercial shipping vessels in the Red Sea, and say the attacks will continue until Israel ends its “crimes in Gaza.” Who’s backing the Houthi rebels? Why is the U.S. sinking Houthi ships and sailing naval destroyers in the region? What could ... Show More
24m 3s
Apr 2025
Alerte rouge en Mer Rouge (Red Alert in the Red Sea)
Les rebelles houthis du Yémen reprennent les attaques contre les navires israéliens, ce qui aggrave les tensions dans la région maritime stratégique.​ Traduction : Yemen's Houthi rebels resume attacks against Israeli ships, escalating tensions in the strategic maritime region. Hé ... Show More
2m 35s
Jul 2025
The ships are down: Houthis resume strikes
<p>Once again, commercial vessels sailing in the Red Sea are being attacked. Our correspondent explains why <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2025/07/17/as-the-houthis-sink-two-ships-in-one-week-the-world-shrugs?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.n ... Show More
26m 15s
Apr 2025
Is The Ship Sinking?
<p>On today’s show we are talking about the movement of goods entering our country and how this might affect industrial real estate and jobs.</p><p><br></p><p>The mainstream media have been widely reporting that shipping imports to the US are down by 64% in the first weeks of Apr ... Show More
7m 20s
Feb 2024
Gomme arabique, la crise en mer Rouge s'ajoute à la crise au Soudan
La crise soudanaise qui dure depuis bientôt 10 mois a perturbé le commerce de la gomme arabique, un additif naturel très utilisé dans les industries agro-alimentaires, cosmétiques et pharmaceutiques. Depuis janvier, la crise en mer Rouge est venue complexifier un peu plus la situ ... Show More
1m 41s
Aug 2024
Cruising might be causing a climate crisis + Headlines
Cruise ships have doubled in size in the last two decades - and so has their impact on the environment. A new report from European lobby group Transport and Environment is warning that by 2050, cruise ships will be eight times bigger than the Titanic and the industry’s emissions ... Show More
19m 58s
Jul 2025
The ships are down: Houthis resume strikes
Once again, commercial vessels sailing in the Red Sea are being attacked. Our correspondent explains why Houthi rebels, an Iranian-backed militia in Yemen, have regrouped. The islands of Tuvalu are sinking. Now Australia is offering residents the world’s first “climate visas”. An ... Show More
26m 15s