Maritime union urges rethink of Red Sea transit
One of the world’s biggest unions for ship-crew members said any vessels still sailing through the Red Sea should urgently reconsider the voyages after a Houthi militant attack that killed three sailors.
“It is time for those shipowners who are continuing to transit through the Red Sea to reassess the necessity of their decision considering recent events,” Nautilus International, which represents more than 20,000 maritime workers, said in a statement. “The utmost priority should be the safeguarding of the lives of seafarers.”
Two crew members from the Philippines and another from Vietnam died Wednesday when the Yemen-based Houthis attacked the bulk commodities vessel True Confidence in the Gulf of Aden. At least two other sailors were injured.
The incident marks the first deaths of crew members in the militants’ campaign against commercial shipping in one of the world’s busiest waterways, and follows the recent sinking of another vessel.
It also raises questions about much risk shipowners are willing to accept in order to ensure the safety of their crews and cargo. Most merchant vessels are already avoiding the region — sailing instead around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope — in an effort to avoid violence in the region.
The Iran-backed Houthis escalated their attacks in November, in what they said was support of Hamas in its war against Israel. More recently they have widened the strikes, following American and British military efforts to keep the shipping lanes open.
The attack on the True Confidence is the latest example that the U.S. and U.K. efforts are doing little to restore peace to a region that is a hub for the transport of everything from agricultural products to oil and gas.
The 20-person crew on the True Confidence was forced to abandon ship and were taken to Djibouti by an Indian navy vessel. The damaged carrier, which was hauling a cargo of steel products, was drifting well away from land while salvage efforts were underway.
Last month, the crew of the Rubymar also abandoned ship following a Houthi strike. It resulted in the first vessel sinking since the militants escalated their attacks. The ship was carrying fertilizer and fuel, adding to concerns about an environmental disaster.