Uganda, Feb. 4 -- East African countries are staring at a fresh rise in food and fuel prices due to the escalating conflict in the Middle East, which continues to disrupt the flow of goods through the Red Sea.

The on-going war between Israel and the Hamas-led Palestinian militant groups in Gaza have intensified insecurity in the Red sea, a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean lying between Africa and Asia.

This is forcing ships to seek alternative but longer and expensive routes away from the Suez Canal, a 193.30-kilometre water canal in Egypt that connects the Mediterranean to the Red Sea.

Last year, the Suez Canal Authority announced that it would raise the transit fees for ships passing the canal by five percent to 15 percent from Jan...