Some 20,000 seafarers have been impacted by the ongoing war in the Middle East and the shipping crunch that’s resulted.
According to the UN International Maritime Organization (IMO), there have been 18 attacks on shipping trying to sail through the Strait of Hormuz – a vital route for oil and gas destined for the wider world – between 1 March and 19 March.
At an emergency session held last week in London in response to the crisis, IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez urged UN Member States with ships positioned east of the Strait of Hormuz to “not take any unnecessary risk in sailing west. We must not expose seafarers to a higher risk than they already face right now.”
The UN agency has urged the creation of a humanitarian corridor “to evacuate all vessels and seafarers that are currently trapped”. It’s understood that talks are being held with Member States and other parties impacted by the crisis.
