IMO: Six months of uncertainty for seafarers in Strait of Hormuz

Six months have passed since the conflict in the Middle East began on February 28th, leaving thousands of seafarers stranded in the Persian Gulf. As of now, at least 70 attacks on international shipping have been confirmed, resulting in the loss of 19 lives. Arsenio Dominguez, the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), has expressed concern over the ongoing situation.

The IMO chief stated that despite some ships and their crews managing to escape the Persian Gulf, up to 400 vessels carrying approximately 6,000 seafarers are still unable to depart safely. The consequences of this crisis are severe, both in the immediate and the long run. Disruption of crucial supply chains for essential goods like fuels, fertilizers, and other commodities affects communities and economies globally.

In July, the IMO Council passed a resolution emphasizing the importance of unhindered navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, requesting coordinated and sustainable efforts to restore this right. Dominguez emphasized the need for renewed political will and cooperation among Member States and the shipping industry to address this issue.

He urged everyone involved to collaborate with IMO and the wider United Nations system to find practical solutions to restore maritime security and the freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. The deteriorating global maritime security situation, from the Black Sea to the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, poses a threat not only to seafarers but to all of us.

However, the plight of the thousands of innocent seafarers affected by this crisis is particularly distressing.