Latest news with #SeafarersCharity
Arab News
5 days ago
- Politics
- Arab News
‘All our crew are Muslim,' fearful Red Sea ships tell Houthis
LONDON: Commercial ships sailing through the Red Sea are broadcasting increasingly desperate messages on public channels to avoid being attacked by the Houthi militia in Yemen. One message read 'All Crew Muslim,' some included references to an all-Chinese crew and management, others flagged the presence of armed guards on board, and almost all insisted the ships had no connection to Israel. Maritime security sources said the messages were a sign of growing desperation to avoid attack, but were unlikely to make any difference. Houthi intelligence preparation was 'much deeper and forward-leaning,' one source said. Houthi attacks off Yemen's coast began in November 2023 in what the group said was in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza war. A lull this year ended when they sank two ships last week and killed four crew. Vessels in the fleets of both ships had made calls to Israeli ports in the past year. 'Seafarers are the backbone of global trade, keeping countries supplied with food, fuel and medicine. They should not have to risk their lives to do their job,' the Seafarers' Charity.
Arab News
6 days ago
- Arab News
Rescuers save four more survivors from Houthi-struck ship in Red Sea
ATHENS/LONDON: Rescuers pulled three more crew members and a security guard alive from the Red Sea on Thursday, maritime security sources said, a day after Houthi militants sank the Greek ship Eternity C and said they were holding some of the crew still missing. It was the second Greek bulk carrier sunk this week by the Iran-aligned Houthi militia, shattering months of relative calm off Yemen's coast, the gateway to the Red Sea and a critical route for oil and commodities to the world. Many shipping companies have suspended voyages due to the fear of attack. The Houthis are believed to be holding six of the Eternity C's complement of 22 crew and three guards, maritime security sources said. 'These are blameless victims who were simply doing their job,' the UK-based Seafarers' Charity association said. 'Seafarers should be able to work safely at sea. Instead, they are being unfairly forced into the firing line.' Eternity C was first hit on Monday with sea drones and rocket-propelled grenades fired from speed boats. Four people are believed to have been killed in the attacks, maritime security sources say. If confirmed, the deaths would be the first fatalities in the area since June 2024. Following a second attack on Tuesday morning, the crew were forced to jump into the water. Rescuers have been searching for survivors since Wednesday morning. The vessel's operator, Cosmoship Management, has not responded to Reuters' requests for comment. A total of 10 survivors from the Eternity C have been rescued so far — eight Filipino crew members, one Indian and one Greek security guard. The four people rescued on Thursday morning had spent nearly 48 hours in the water. 'This fills us with more courage to continue to search for those missing, as the Greek vessel operator requested, and shows that our search plan was correct,' said Nikos Georgopoulos, an official at the Greece-based maritime risk firm Diaplous. Another 11 people are still missing. The United States' Mission in Yemen has accused the Houthis of kidnapping crew members and has called for their immediate, unconditional release. On Wednesday, the Houthis' military spokesperson said in a televised address that the Yemeni navy had 'responded to rescue a number of the ship's crew, provide them with medical care, and transport them to a safe location.' Fraught passage The Eternity C sank on Wednesday, days after Houthis hit and sunk the Magic Seas, reviving a campaign launched in November 2023 that has seen more than 100 ships attacked in what the group said was solidarity with the Palestinians in the Gaza war. Both of the vessels hit this week flew Liberian flags and were operated by Greek companies. All crew from the Magic Seas were rescued before it went down. Some of their sister vessels in the respective fleets had made calls to Israeli ports in the past year, an analysis of shipping data showed. Abdul Malik Al-Houthi, the leader of Yemen's Houthi fighters, reiterated in a televised address on Thursday the group's ban on companies transporting goods related to Israel through the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea. He said this week's attacks were part of that ban, which has been in place since 2023. 'It was never stopped or canceled, and it is a valid decision,' he said. 'What was discovered (this week) was the violation by some companies of the decision.' The insurance cost of shipping goods through the Red Sea has more than doubled since this week's attacks, with some underwriters pausing cover for some voyages, industry sources said on Thursday. The number of daily sailings through the narrow Bab Al-Mandab strait, at the southern tip of the Red Sea and a gateway to the Gulf of Aden, was 32 vessels on July 9, down from 43 on July 1, Lloyd's List Intelligence data showed. Several ships on Thursday broadcast messages referring to Chinese crew and management or armed guards on board, according to MarineTraffic data. One vessel broadcast that it had no relation with Israel.
BBC News
03-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
Former seafarers wanted for Arctic Corsair attraction in Hull
Volunteers with a seafaring background are being sought to work as visitor guides on a historic Arctic Corsair is due to reopen as a tourist attraction in Hull in the in 1960, the ship is the city's last surviving sidewinder trawler and will become the star exhibit at a new maritime Maritime Foundation, which looks after the vessel, has received a £20,000 grant from The Seafarers' Charity to help the recruitment process. Deborah Layde, chief executive of the charity, said: "The maritime sector has a rich heritage in the UK and beyond, and there is no one better placed to educate the next generation than someone with lived experience."Unfortunately, all too often former seafarers can struggle with issues like isolation and loneliness after a life at sea. "That's why this initiative is such a great opportunity for both the volunteers and the visitors involved with the Arctic Corsair."The ship is undergoing restoration work before being moved to its new birth at the revamped North End Shipyard on the River Hull. The Arctic Corsair was involved in the Cod Wars in the 1970s and rammed an Icelandic gunboat during the 1973, the ship broke the record for landing the greatest weight of cod and haddock from the White vessel is being refurbished as part of the Hull Maritime project, which also includes the restoration of Queens Gardens and the Maritime interested in volunteering is asked to contact HEY! to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
