IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez condemned the reported attack on the Tihamah, a Tanzania-flagged cargo ship sailing off Yemen’s southern coast.
The strike, attributed to Yemen’s Houthi fighters, reportedly killed several seafarers on Tuesday. “It is with sadness and regret to know that, once again, innocent seafarers have lost their lives in an indefensible attack on international shipping. I offer my deepest condolences to the families of those involved,” Dominguez said.
Dominguez said the location of the latest attack was especially troubling because the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden are critical international trade routes. “It is particularly troublesome that the most recent attack has taken place in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden area,” Dominguez said.
Dominguez warned that continued attacks on commercial vessels would “only serve to escalate tensions and threaten global supply chains on which everyone depends”.
The Houthis, formally known as Ansar Allah, have threatened to blockade the Bab al-Mandab Strait and have targeted vessels in the Red Sea for several years. The group reportedly claimed responsibility for attacks on two Saudi oil tankers on July 23.
The latest incident comes amid a near-total shipping freeze in the Strait of Hormuz caused by the continuing war involving Iran and the United States.
IMO data shows that only about seven vessels crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, nearly 20 times fewer than the daily average recorded before the war.
The disruption has reduced exports of oil, gas and fertiliser inputs while contributing to higher global prices.
The conflict has also halted an IMO-coordinated evacuation plan for seafarers stranded in or near the Strait of Hormuz.
About 6 000 crew members and 500 vessels are believed to remain trapped, while approximately 2 900 seafarers have been evacuated.
IMO has recorded 65 confirmed incidents and 17 seafarer deaths since early March.
Dominguez also called for the “immediate and unconditional release of all seafarers” held captive following piracy attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. “Ensuring seafarer safety is a fundamental obligation under international law and a shared responsibility of the global community,” Dominguez said.
–IMO/ChannelAfrica–
