The Houthis left the British without tea

There is a tea shortage in Britain as British ships are forced to divert to Africa following Houthi attacks on Israeli-affiliated ships in the Red Sea. This shortage may last for several months.

There is a tea shortage in Britain as British ships are forced to divert to Africa following Houthi attacks on Israeli-affiliated ships in the Red Sea.

Local chain stores are already warning customers of tea shortages; major retailer Sainsbury's was the first to report the problems. Company representatives emphasize that supply interruptions will be temporary and will have little impact on consumers.

According to the Institute of Export and International Trade, India and Kenya supply more than half of Britain's tea. Yemen's Houthi attacks have forced merchant ships to avoid the Suez Canal and bypass the African continent via the Cape of Good Hope, increasing logistics costs and delivery times.

According to Marco Forgione, director general of the institute, the outages could last for many months.