UN Warns of ‘Unprecedented’ Crisis for Seafarers in Persian Gulf as War Strands Crews at Sea
The UN maritime agency says crews face missile threats, shortages and delayed repatriation as traffic through the waterway has dropped by more than 90%.
- An unprecedented crisis is unfolding in the Persian Gulf, where the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has left more than 20,000 seafarers stranded on 2,000 vessels with no clear exit, the International Maritime Organization warned.
- The Strait has remained effectively blocked since the United States and Israel launched air strikes on Iran, prompting Tehran to close the crucial "shipping motorway" used to enter and exit the Gulf. Traffic has since dropped by more than 90 percent.
- Maritime Trade Operations recorded 41 incidents between March 1 and April 27, including attacks involving drones. Sailors face severe conditions, with some forced to collect water from air-conditioning drains to survive as food supplies dwindle.
- Crew members on the tanker Auroura alleged they were threatened with withheld wages and "serious consequences" if they refused to sail to Iran. Many seafarers also report "no crew change" clauses that prevent them from leaving vessels.
- The IMO is coordinating contingency planning, including a safe evacuation framework, but warned that naval escorts alone are not a sustainable solution. Officials urge long-term de-escalation to ensure seafarers' safety in combat-zone conditions.
15 Articles
15 Articles
UN warns of ‘unprecedented’ crisis for seafarers in Persian Gulf as war strands crews at sea
An “unprecedented” crisis is unfolding for 20,000 seafarers stranded in the Persian Gulf, a UN body has warned, as the Strait of Hormuz closure leaves crews trapped on ships with no clear way out.
UN warns 20,000 seafarers exposed to war-related risks
The United Nations International Maritime Organization estimates 20,000 seafarers are directly exposed to the dangers related to the war in the Middle East. The identified risks include missiles, falling debris, shortages of food and water on board, as well as the possibility of medical emergencies and technical malfunctions. The UN maritime agency is working with the shipping industry on contingency planning, including a safe evacuation framewo…
More than 800 ships and their crews remain trapped in the Persian Gulf in the face of the blockade established by Iran in the Strait of Ormuz, its only route of maritime communication with the rest of the world. To these is the Operation Freedom Project announced by US President Donald Trump, and which implies that his Navy will “guide” the ships “to put them to safety,” an initiative that has been harshly attacked by Iran and that the shipping …
SEA OF FEAR: 20,000 SAILORS TRAPPED AS 1,600 SHIPS CHOKE VITAL OIL ROUTE
SEA OF FEAR: 20,000 SAILORS TRAPPED AS 1,600 SHIPS CHOKE VITAL OIL ROUTE A growing maritime crisis is unfolding near the Strait of Hormuz, where an estimated 1,600 vessels and roughly 20,000 seafarers remain stranded amid rising tensions and a grinding blockade. Stuck in hazardous waters with no clear path forward, crews face uncertainty, supply […] The post SEA OF FEAR: 20,000 SAILORS TRAPPED AS 1,600 SHIPS CHOKE VITAL OIL ROUTE first appeared …
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