New York, Sept. 10 (SANA) Global shipping is facing an unprecedented convergence of security threats across some of the world’s busiest waterways, with vessels and seafarers increasingly caught up in geopolitical conflicts, a senior International Maritime Organization (IMO) official said Thursday.
Damien Chevallier, Director of the IMO’s Maritime Safety Division, told UN News that simultaneous crises in the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea, waters off Somalia and the Black Sea were putting growing pressure on the shipping industry.
About 2,000 vessels and 20,000 seafarers were affected by disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz at the start of the conflict, Chevallier said.
Security threats spread across key shipping routes
Chevallier warned that piracy was rising sharply off Somalia as maritime security resources were increasingly diverted toward threats in the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz. Somalia, he said, is preparing legislation aimed at closing legal gaps in the prosecution of suspected pirates.
In the Black Sea, attacks on oil tankers and grain vessels have increased, while misinformation has complicated efforts to verify incidents.
Ukrainian grain ports are receiving only one or two vessels a day, compared with about 20 to 30 under normal conditions, despite the ongoing harvest season, Chevallier said.
The disruptions carry risks well beyond the shipping industry. About 20% of global oil supplies pass through the Strait of Hormuz, while both Hormuz and the Black Sea are important routes for fertilizer shipments. The Black Sea also remains a major corridor for global grain exports.
Higher costs could ripple through global economy
Rerouting vessels, tightening security and rising insurance and shipping costs could push up prices while supplies remain constrained, with some effects potentially extending into next year, Chevallier warned.
He also said prolonged security threats could worsen an existing shortage of seafarers by making maritime careers more dangerous and less attractive to younger workers.
Chevallier called for diplomatic solutions and respect for international and humanitarian law, warning against allowing attacks and threats to commercial navigation to become normalized.
Arming commercial vessels more heavily would carry its own risks, he said, potentially triggering an arms race and encouraging the development of increasingly sophisticated weapons.
Maritime traffic in the Gulf has fallen sharply amid escalating U.S.-Iran tensions, with hundreds of vessels reportedly remaining in open waters as disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz drive up insurance and shipping costs.
R.H/Abd
