UN warns of ‘unprecedented’ crisis for seafarers in Persian Gulf as war strands crews at sea | CNN

An “unprecedented” crisis is unfolding for 20,000 seafarers stranded in the Persian Gulf, a UN body has warned, as the Strait of Hormuz closure leaves crews trapped on ships with no clear way out. As the stalemate in the Gulf drags on, maritime workers – many from poor, developing countries – are finding themselves stranded at sea, caught between commercial pressure from ship owners, security threats from drones and sea mines and limited legal protections. “It is an unprecedented situation,” Damien Chevallier, director of the Maritime Safety Division at the UN’s International Maritime Organization (IMO), said in an interview with CNN. “We have around 20,000 seafarers in the Gulf for now close to eight weeks. It is a humanitarian crisis. We have never faced such a situation.” The warning lays bare the severity of the situation facing the crews. Many are unable to dock on either side of the Persian Gulf: Iranian ports pose war-zone risks, while visa restrictions and logistical hurdles along the Arab states lining the Gulf’s southern shores make it difficult for many sailors to leave their vessels. The maritime exit – through the Strait of Hormuz – remains effe