Leading shipping groups have urged governments “with influence” to put a stop to Houthi attacks on vessels in the Red Sea after a second freighter sank this week.
At least three seafarers have been killed in the attacks so far. The latest sinking is likely to have led to another death, according to a statement Wednesday from more than a dozen shipping associations, including the International Chamber of Shipping and the World Shipping Council.
Their call for action highlights the growing human toll from the disruption to one of the world’s trade arteries which has been virtually closed to container ships since late last year. The longer diversion around the southern tip of Africa has sent shipping costs soaring and is causing congestion at ports in Asia and Europe, threatening to scramble global supply chains.
“It is deplorable that innocent seafarers are being attacked while simply performing their jobs, vital jobs which keep the world warm, fed, and clothed,” the shipping associations said in their statement.
“This is an unacceptable situation, and these attacks must stop now. We call for states with influence in the region to safeguard our innocent seafarers and for the swift de-escalation of the situation in the Red Sea,” they added.
The statement was released the same day that UK Maritime Trade Operations, part of the Royal Navy, confirmed that a Greek-owned coal carrier had sunk after being struck by the Houthis last week.
According to the shipping groups, one seafarer on board the vessel, called the MV Tutor, “seems certain to have been killed.”
“This is the second fatal attack in which our seafarers have been caught in the crosshairs of geopolitical conflicts,” they said in their statement.
The MV Tutor is also the second ship sunk by the Houthis. A British-registered vessel, Rubymar, was downed in March after being struck by ballistic missiles fired from Yemen.
