A shipment of rice bound for Toronto’s Daily Bread Food Bank was caught up in the Middle East conflict after a cargo vessel carrying the food bank’s containers was struck in the Strait of Hormuz, the organization’s chief executive said.
Neil Hetherington, CEO of Daily Bread, said the ship was transporting about six containers of rice, with roughly 40,000 pounds per container, when it was hit Wednesday. The ship is damaged but has not sunk, he said, and it remains unclear whether any of the food bank’s containers were directly damaged. He added that the incident is expected to cause a significant delivery delay.
Uncertainty Over Vessel and Timeline
The U.K. Maritime Trade Operations Centre (UKMTO) reported an attack Wednesday in the Strait of Hormuz in which a cargo vessel was hit by an unknown projectile, triggering a fire on board. UKMTO said the vessel requested assistance, crew members evacuated, and a skeleton crew stayed behind.
It has not been confirmed that the vessel cited by UKMTO was the same ship carrying Daily Bread’s shipment. Hetherington said an update is expected within about a week, depending on the vessel’s condition, repairs, and whether it must be unloaded or dry docked.
Hormuz Disruption Chokes Commercial Shipping
Marine traffic through Hormuz has dropped sharply as security risks rise. UN Trade and Development estimates as many as 151 ships per day transited the strait in February. By Saturday, that figure had fallen to four, reflecting a major disruption along the main sea route from the Persian Gulf to open waters.
The conflict has also turned deadly for maritime workers. UKMTO said 13 vessels have been attacked in the strait since Feb. 28, and at least seven crew members have been killed over that period.
Daily Bread Says Client Supply Should Hold
Hetherington said food bank users should not feel immediate effects because Daily Bread sources food from multiple places and has worked to diversify its supply chain. He said the organization still prioritizes local purchasing when possible, but relies on imports for staples that are less practical to source domestically, including rice and beans.
Daily Bread supplies about 200 food banks across Toronto. Hetherington said the network recorded about 4.1 million client visits in 2025, and now supports roughly one in 10 Torontonians.
