Twenty Thousand Sailors Trapped in the Persian Gulf Due to War

According to a report by Reference News on April 27, the Spanish newspaper El País reported on April 19 that after the United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran, nearly 20,000 seafarers have been trapped in the Persian Gulf for a month and a half.

They are trapped in steel ship cabins, witnessing missiles and drones flying by. The ships are anchored several miles off the coast, and supplies are running dangerously low.

“Today, seafarers need protection more than ever. Their basic needs, including food, drinking water, medical assistance, and ship fuel, must be prioritized,” called for Mohammed Al-Rachidi, coordinator for the Arab region and Iran at the International Transport Workers' Federation.

Since the outbreak of the conflict, Al-Rachidi's phone has not stopped ringing. Calls and messages from trapped seafarers keep pouring in, sending out distress signals. “As soon as someone shares a hotspot or the weather improves and there’s a signal, the seafarers will call. All the messages we receive are filled with fear and anxiety. They send me photos and videos of bombs falling at night, telling me their lives are in danger, begging us to rescue them from there,” he said over the phone.

The International Maritime Organization confirmed that since the conflict began, there have been at least 21 attacks on merchant ships in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, resulting in 10 seafarers dead and several injured. The United Nations estimates that about 2,000 ships are trapped in the area. Data from maritime intelligence firm Vortexa Consulting shows that there are 823 ships in the Persian Gulf alone, including over 300 tankers, with the rest being cargo ships, container ships, and even six cruise ships.

Earlier this month, International Maritime Organization Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez called for increased diplomatic efforts during a video conference with foreign ministers from over 40 countries to evacuate trapped seafarers in need. However, the biggest obstacle is not the governments of various countries.

Al-Rachidi emphasized that the main hindrance comes from the complex and often opaque operational structure of the shipping industry: ships flying the flag of one country, operating companies from another country, shipowners from a third party, and seafarers recruited by different subcontractors in various ports, with diverse nationalities, many of whom are not protected by collective labor agreements.

“Some shipowners are proactive, but others refuse to cooperate, only considering economic costs. Once the crew leaves, new personnel need to be found,” he explained. “Some unscrupulous shipowners owe wages to seafarers, forcing them to work under harsh conditions, while seafarers continuously demand payment and a return home, but are ignored. This is simply modern slavery.” (Translated by Han Chao)