Ships sailing between the Red Sea and the Suez Canal account for 12 to 15% of global trade, according to UNCTAD, the United Nations agency for trade.
Ships sailing between the Red Sea and the Suez Canal account for 12 to 15% of global trade, according to UNCTAD, the United Nations agency for trade.
An attack on a merchant ship off the southern coast of Yemen, which reportedly killed several sailors on Tuesday, risks reigniting serious concerns about global trade, amid the Iran-US conflict that is disrupting navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
“It is with sadness and regret that I learn that once again, innocent sailors have lost their lives in an unjustifiable attack on international shipping. I send my sincerest condolences to the families of the victims,” said Arsenio Dominguez, Director-General of the United Nations International Maritime Organization (IMO).He added: ‘It is particularly worrying that this latest attack took place in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden region,’ stressing that the increase in attacks on shipping ‘only exacerbates tensions and threatens the global supply chains that the entire population relies on.’
Mr. Dominguez’s comments come after an attack on the cargo ship Tihamah, blamed on Yemen’s Houthi fighters.
Years of conflict in Yemen
The non-state armed group – officially known as Ansar Allah and supported by Iran – has been fighting Yemeni government forces, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, for over a decade.The group also threatened to block the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a key shipping route to the Red Sea, and targeted navigation in the Red Sea for several years, especially after the start of the war between Hamas and Israel in October 2023, in support of the Palestinians in Gaza. On July 23, it claimed responsibility for attacking two Saudi oil tankers, according to the media.
Following these attacks, UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed deep concern over the resumption of Houthi attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea and the rising threats to maritime navigation.
According to online maritime records, the Tihamah sails under the Tanzanian flag; it is 62.8 meters long and 11 meters wide.
The attack on the Tihamah comes as maritime traffic is almost at a standstill in the Strait of Hormuz, a key passage connecting the rest of the world to many Gulf states, including Iran and Oman. According to the latest IMO data, only about seven ships passed through the strait on Sunday, nearly 20 times less than the pre-war daily average.
The disruptions to global trade in the strait, following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory attacks in Gulf states and Jordan, have led to a sharp drop in exports of essential raw materials like oil, gas, and fertilizers, as well as a rise in prices.Evacuation Suspended
The ongoing conflict has also forced the IMO to suspend the evacuation plan for sailors trapped in or near the Strait of Hormuz. It’s estimated that around 6,000 crew members and 500 ships are still stuck, nearly six months after hostilities began. So far, about 2,900 people have been evacuated.
According to the UN agency’s tracking system on the Strait of Hormuz crisis, 65 incidents have been confirmed, and 17 sailors have lost their lives since early March.
In his statement, the IMO Director-General also called for the immediate and unconditional release of all sailors held hostage following pirate attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
“Ensuring the safety of seafarers is a fundamental obligation under international law and a shared responsibility of the international community,” Mr. Dominguez stressed.
