The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has suspended the evacuation plan for the approximately 8,000 sailors stranded for months in the Strait of Hormuz until the necessary security guarantees are provided. Thousands of sailors, trapped on commercial ships that have effectively become “floating prisons,” are awaiting rescue amid shortages of food, drinking water, and medicine.
According to data published on the IMO’s website, 136 ships have been removed from the area so far under the evacuation plan, and approximately 2,900 sailors have been rescued. Some sailors have spent more than four months under blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. Nevertheless, around 8,000 sailors remain stranded in the region.
The organization launched the three-day evacuation operation on June 23, about a week after a memorandum of understanding was signed between the U.S. and Iran on June 17. The memorandum was seen as a significant step toward ending the war that began on February 28 and led Tehran to close the Strait of Hormuz.
However, according to Bloomberg news agency, citing IMO Spokesperson Natasha Brown, the evacuation plan has been temporarily suspended until the necessary security guarantees are received from all parties. The decision was made after a ship was attacked in the Gulf of Oman after transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The attacked ship was sailing outside the framework of the evacuation organized by the IMO and announced to all ships on its website.
The sailors stranded in the region have been trying to survive in extremely difficult conditions for at least three months. Some sailors who spoke to Bloomberg said they have had to drastically ration food and water consumption and are dependent on external aid for fuel and medical supplies. There are reports that sailors’ basic rights are being severely violated, especially on ships belonging to small companies. Additionally, many sailors’ employment contracts are nearing expiration, but crew changes have become almost impossible due to the cessation of navigation and security risks.
The crisis has deepened due to the visa policies of some Gulf countries. According to Bloomberg’s report, Iraq and Kuwait have stopped issuing short-term visas as the security situation has deteriorated. This decision prevents sailors who want to disembark and return to their countries from leaving their ships.
IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez confirmed in a statement issued by the organization that at least 14 sailors have lost their lives as a result of the clashes and that more than 40 commercial ships have been attacked. Although progress has been made in indirect negotiations between the U.S. and Iran in Doha, mediated by Qatar and Pakistan, the path to a final ceasefire agreement still appears long. As the psychological burden of each day away from their families grows heavier, the sailors fear a renewed flare-up of the fighting.
