JAKARTA - The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has urged the immediate end of attacks on ships and sailors sailing through the Red Sea and Aden Bay.
The IMO Maritime Security Committee, in a resolution adopted in London, condemned "illegal and unjustified" attacks that pose a direct threat to shipping freedom on one of the world's most important territorial waters, as well as causing major disruption to regional and global trade.
The UN maritime agency also said it was the first resolution IMO member countries have adopted on issues in the Red Sea since Yemen's Houthis took over the cargo ship MV Galaxy Leader while at sea in November 2023.
"Since then, about 50 dangerous and destabilizing maritime attacks have occurred, which claimed the lives of several sailors while 25 crew members of the Galaxy Leader are still being held hostage," the agency said, adding that the Committee demanded the immediate and unconditional release of crew members.," reported by ANTARA from Anadolu, Saturday, May 25.
"The Houthis' rash actions are endangering the lives of those innocent, disrupting the delivery of humanitarian aid that is urgently needed for those who desperately need it, increasing the cost of this humanitarian aid, and disrupting regional stability," the resolution said.
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The statement noted that the Committee encourages dialogue and peaceful diplomacy that can resolve the crisis.
"I call on all relevant governments and organizations to provide maximum assistance to the affected sailors, and try their best to find a solution to this crisis," said IMO Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez.
The Houthis are targeting Israeli companies belonging to or operated cargo ships or that deliver goods to and from Israel sailing in the Red Sea in solidarity with the residents of the Gaza Strip, who have been brutally attacked by Israel since October 7, 2023.
The Red Sea is one of the most frequently used sea routes in the world for oil and fuel shipments.
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