One month ago, a series of unprovoked attacks on merchant ships began in the Southern Red Sea, Bab El-Mandeb, Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea. It is widely believed the attacks originate from the Iran-aligned Houthi movement and the number of attacks has steadily increased, threatening commercial shipping.

BIMCO believes nation states must collaborate to remove the current threat to international shipping and, if necessary, neutralise the threat by military means within the boundaries of international law.

“BIMCO strongly calls for joint efforts by nations to protect international shipping. Seafarers should not be risking their lives while doing their job and keeping the world supplied,” says David Loosley, Secretary General & CEO of BIMCO.

Around 12% of global trade passes through the Suez Canal, representing 30% of all global container traffic and over USD 1 trillion worth of goods per year. Since 19 November 2023, the Iran-aligned Houthi movement has increased the number of attacks on ships with no signs of abating.

“These unlawful attacks represent a gross violation of the freedom of navigation as enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and undermines the rules-based international order on which international shipping is so dependant,” Loosley says.

The Suez Canal Authority is monitoring the situation very closely. According to their calculations, 55 ships have diverted to sail around the Cape of Good Hope since November 19. The authority however emphasized that 77 vessels transited the Suez Canal on Sunday, December 17, representing more than four million net tons and part of the just over 2,200 vessels that made the trip in 2023.

(Photo from Suez Canal Authority)