Source: UN News: Monday, 06 April 2026 00:02 AM
Due to the ongoing war in the Middle East, about 20 thousand sailors are stranded on ships in the Strait of Hormuz, which has been described as an ‘unprecedented situation’ in the post-World War II era, i.e. this has happened for the first time in the last 80 years. These sailors are working on approximately 2 thousand ships, including oil and gas tankers, giant shipping carriers, cargo ships as well as six tourist cruise ships. Due to the ongoing war in the Middle East, the ships are stuck in the Persian Gulf and unable to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran borders the northern part of the Strait of Hormuz and the country has said it will allow only “non-enemy” ships to pass through. Before the war, about 150 ships passed through the waterway every day, but now only four or five pass through. On Monday, two Chinese-flagged cargo ships reportedly began a four- to six-hour voyage through the Strait of Hormuz to the Gulf of Oman and safe waters outside the war zone. According to the UN International Maritime Organization (IMO) in London, the largest number of ships in the world since the war began a month ago There have been 19 attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz. © NASA/GSFC/Jacques Descloitres Strait of Hormuz – Satellite image of the Strait of Hormuz. Threats to seafarers’ lives IMO is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for measures to improve the safety and security of international navigation. Since the Israeli-US bombing of Iran began on February 28, ten seafarers have been killed and eight injured. Due to that attack, Iranian attacks started in the Gulf region. On Tuesday, a fully loaded oil tanker came under attack off the coast of Dubai, possibly from an armed drone. It is still unclear why those 19 ships were specifically targeted. However, the attacks have slowed over the past week amid increased diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is focusing on ensuring the evacuation and safety of 20,000 seafarers. “There is no precedent in the modern era for so many seafarers to become stranded,” said Damien Chevalier, director of the organization’s maritime safety division. “They (sailors) have been working in an active war zone for a month. It is a very scary situation and their psychological stress can only be imagined,” he said. IMO/Pankaj Gautham Talks for safe passage Companies operating from Saudi Arabia and Oman are supplying food, water and fuel to 2 thousand ships stranded in the Persian Gulf. It is not safe for these ships to remain in port, so they are moving around the Gulf in search of safe places, following the protocols of the shipping companies they own. IMO’s Damien Chevalier said the organization has asked Iran for clarification on what is considered an “enemy ship”, which could be at risk of attack if passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Internationally Agreed Route of Hormuz for the Global Economy The strait is very important. An estimated 20 percent of the world’s oil and gas supply passes through here. IMO, with the consent of the countries of the region, adopted an internationally agreed sea navigation system in 1968. This system represents the safest route through the narrow sea corridor passing near Oman in the south. However, some ships passing there have taken a northern route closer to Iran so that authorities there can more closely monitor their movements. © IMO What is the future of seafarers? IMO’s immediate goal is to ensure the safety of all seafarers stranded in the Persian Gulf, but there are also long-term concerns about the future of seafaring. “If seafarers do not feel safe because of current wars, it will be difficult to attract the next generation to the job to meet the growing needs,” said Damien Chevalier. “Without seafarers there can be no global trade, on which the world’s economies depend. Are.”
