BIMCO made a statement regarding attacks on commercial ships in the Southern Red Sea, Bab El-Mandeb, Gulf of Aden and the Sea of Oman.
A month ago, a series of unprovoked attacks on commercial ships began in the Southern Red Sea, Bab Al Mandeb, Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea. The attacks are believed to be caused by the Iran-linked Houthi movement and the number of attacks threatening commercial shipping is increasing.
The Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO) has stated that it believes that nation states should cooperate to eliminate the current threat to international shipping and, if necessary, neutralize the threat by military means within the limits of international law.
Calling on nations to make a joint effort to protect international shipping, BIMCO Secretary General and CEO David Loosley said that seafarers should not risk their lives while doing their jobs and meeting the needs of the world.
Approximately 12% of global trade passes through the Suez Canal; this represents 30% of all global container traffic and over US$1 trillion in goods annually. The Iranian-backed Houthi movement has increased the number of attacks on ships since November 19, 2023, with no signs of abating.
“These unlawful attacks represent a gross violation of the freedom of navigation enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and undermine the rules-based international order on which international shipping is so dependent,” Loosley said.
The Suez Canal Authority is monitoring the situation very closely. According to calculations, 55 ships have diverted to sail around the Cape of Good Hope since November 19. However, officials emphasized that 77 ships passed through the Suez Canal on Sunday, December 17. More than 2,200 ships embarked on this journey in 2023. (7Deniz)
The opinions expressed herein are the author’s and not necessarily those of News2Sea.
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