The organizations denounce the “unacceptable situation” of the Yemeni group’s attacks on ships in the Red Sea.
Major shipping industry groups have called for measures to halt Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea following the sinking of a second vessel.
The organizations condemned the incidents as a violation of freedom of navigation and said in a joint statement on Wednesday that they target “innocent seafarers”.
“This is an unacceptable situation and these attacks must stop now,” the statement said. declaration of groups including the World Shipping Council, the European Community Shipowners’ Associations and the Asian Shipowners’ Association.
“We call on states with influence in the region to safeguard our innocent seafarers and to rapidly deescalate the situation in the Red Sea.”
Yemen’s Houthi armed group has been launching attacks against shipping routes in the region since November in what it says is an effort to support Palestinians and pressure Israel to end its war in Gaza.
In response, the United States and its allies have attacked Houthi targets in Yemen since January.
The Houthis, however, have pledged to continue attacking ships if Israel continues to pursue its war against Gaza. More than 37,000 people have been killed in Israel’s attack on Gaza since October 7, according to Palestinian authorities.
Second ship sinks
UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on Tuesday that the Tutor, a Greek ship targeted by the Houthis last week, appears to have sunk.
According to shipping groups, the ship’s missing crew member “appears to have been killed” in the June 12 attack.
“It is deplorable that innocent seafarers are being attacked while simply doing their jobs, vital jobs that keep the world warm, fed and clothed,” the statement said.
The Houthis have launched dozens of military operations against ships since November, using drones, missiles and boats loaded with explosives. The group initially said it would target ships linked to Israel, but later expanded that to ships it said were linked to the US and some allies.
Although most attacks have not resulted in deaths, an attack on a Barbados-flagged ship killed three sailors in March.
Another attack on a Ukrainian-owned ship last week set the ship on fire and seriously injured a crew member.
In their statement, the shipping industry groups also called for the release of the crew of the Galaxy Leader, a cargo ship seized by the Houthis in November.
This story originally appeared on Aljazeera.com read the full story
