Shipping industry groups call for action after Houthis sink second vessel
Al Jazeera
Organisations decry the ‘unacceptable situation’ of assaults by Yemeni group against vessels in the Red Sea.
Leading shipping industry groups have called for action to halt Houthi attacks on vessels in the Red Sea after the sinking of a second ship.
The organisations 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,” read the statement from groups including the World Shipping Council, European Community Shipowners’ Associations and Asian Shipowners’ Association.
“We call for States with influence in the region to safeguard our innocent seafarers and for the swift de-escalation of the situation in the Red Sea.”
Yemen’s Houthi armed group has been launching attacks on shipping lanes in the region since November in what it says is an effort to support Palestinians and pressure Israel to end its war on Gaza.
