20 000sailors stranded in the Gulf face supply shortages and are calling for evacuation

Follow-ups – Al-Khabar Al-Yemeni:
Around 20,000 seafarers working for or on behalf of US shipping companies are facing difficult conditions in the waters of the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz amid escalating war in the region, with increasing distress calls for urgent evacuation, food supplies, and compensation, according to the International Transport Workers’ Federation.
The union confirmed that it has received more than a thousand messages from crews of stranded ships since the outbreak of war following the US-Israeli attack on Iran a month ago, containing demands to return to their countries or to provide basic necessities, amid conditions described as critical.
In one message, a seafarer reported that his ship was suffering from a severe shortage of food and drinking water, in addition to the deteriorating health of one crew member and called for immediate supplies to remedy the situation.
According to the International Maritime Organization, the crisis has also resulted in the deaths of at least eight seafarers or port workers since 28 February, as a result of incidents linked to the escalation in the region.
The union noted that some seafarers had sent footage documenting shelling near their ships, whilst others sought clarification regarding their rights whilst working in an area classified as a war zone, particularly following the announcement by maritime labor organizations of this classification, which grants them additional rights.
Among these rights are repatriation at the expense of the operating companies and double pay for workers on ships covered by labor agreements; however, many seafarers, particularly on ships not covered by such agreements, are facing difficulties in leaving the region.
Messages have also shown that some companies are ignoring crews’ requests to leave and are continuing to deploy them on shipping operations despite the risks, in the absence of travel alternatives, which is