Industry Calls for Action After Houthi Strike Causes First Commercial Ship Deaths
More action is needed to protect commercial cargo ships from attacks by Houthi rebels, shipping industry groups said after sailors aboard a commercial ship in the Gulf of Aden died this week from a Houthi missile strike.
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U.S. Central Command said Houthis launched the missile March 6, killing at least three crew members on board the M/V True Confidence, a Barbados-flagged, Liberian-owned bulk carrier. The deaths are the first reported fatalities aboard a commercial cargo ship caused by the Houthis since the Yemen-based group began targeting ships last year.
“The loss of life and injuries to civilian seafarers is completely unacceptable,” shipping industry groups and other industry associations said in a joint statement. “Merchant vessels crewed by civilian seafarers transporting global trade have a right to innocent passage through the region without the threat of attack.” They added that the “frequency of attacks" on commercial ships "highlights the urgent need for all stakeholders to take decisive action to safeguard the lives of innocent civilian seafarers and put an end to such threats.”
The statement was issued by the World Shipping Council, the Baltic and International Maritime Council, the International Association of Independent Tanker Owners, the International Chamber of Shipping, the Cruise Lines International Association, the International Marine Contractors Association, the Oil Companies International Marine Forum and the International Association of Dry Cargo Shipowners.