WARNINGS for the safety of seafarers during the Middle East conflict have been issued by two of the world’s leading providers of seafarer welfare.
Mission to Seafarers secretary-general Peter Rouch said during the past year, seafarers repeatedly found themselves affected by the ongoing instability.
“Vessels and, indeed, seafarers’ lives have been lost. During this period of heightened risk and anxiety, it is important to remember that seafarers continue their work,” Dr Rouch said.
“Their presence represents no particular allegiance in the conflict, but purely their dedication, which sustains global trade and supports the daily lives of communities around the world.
“The security concerns mean that port access in some locations is heavily restricted, but our welfare teams in the Middle East remain operational.”
Dr Rouch said the MtS continued to “support abandonment cases, arrange emergency deliveries of food and water to vessels in need, and provide remote welfare assistance where physical access is not possible”.
“As crews face anxiety and uncertainty, The Mission to Seafarers is available to all seafarers and their families globally,” he said.
He said support could be accessed via their port-based teams, chaplaincy and welfare network, and digitally via the Happy@Sea app.
In a statement from the Vatican, Apostleship of the Sea (Stella Maris) president, Luis Quintero Fiuza, said they followed “with deep concern about the current military operations and heightened tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and their direct impact on seafarers”.
“The men and women navigating these waters are civilian mariners. Through their daily work they serve the common good, sustaining families and supporting the life of nations,” Reverend Fiuza said.
“Yet now they face fear, uncertainty and real danger.”
Their comments occurred as a Malta-flagged container feeder ship was struck (apparently by a missile), with the crew having to abandon the vessel after it was struck above the waterline causing a fire in the engine room.
Media reports suggest more than 100 container ships are currently positioned west of the Strait of Hormuz, unable to exit due to the risk of attack.