After attack on freighter: shipping companies interrupt traffic

Shipping - After attack on freighter: shipping companies interrupt traffic

Following attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea, the shipping companies Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd will not allow any more of their ships to sail through the Suez Canal for the time being. A spokesman for the Hamburg-based shipping company Hapag-Lloyd told Deutsche Presse-Agentur on Friday that a decision on the situation would be taken again on Monday. The Danish shipping company Maersk announced that it was deeply concerned about the escalated security situation in the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The latest attacks are alarming and pose a significant threat to the safety of seafarers.

On Friday, the Hapag-Lloyd freighter"Al Jasrah" was fired upon in the strait between Yemen and Djibouti. "There is material damage on board, the crew is unharmed," said the shipping company's spokesperson. It was mainly containers that were damaged, but the structure of the ship was not affected. The ship was able to continue its journey. The freighter had reportedly sailed through the Suez Canal from Piraeus in Greece and was heading for Singapore. According to media reports, there was a fire on board after the attack.

The German government condemned the attack and is examining a US request for a naval mission. Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock spoke of an attack by the Shiite Huthi rebels in Yemen. "The German government strongly condemns all attacks on ships, including of course the attack on the Hapag-Lloyd ship," said the Green politician on Friday during a visit to Berlin by Lebanon's acting foreign minister Abdallah Bou Habib. "The Houthi attacks on civilian merchant ships in the Red Sea must stop immediately," she demanded.

Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) said during a visit to Wunstorf near Hanover: "We are currently examining the request and the options available. But we are not yet at the end of the examination." A spokesman for the Ministry of Defense explained in Berlin that a few days ago the US had asked the German Navy whether it was in a position to provide support in the Red Sea, "without this being backed up with concrete demands".

The Hapag-Lloyd spokesman was initially unable to provide any information on the origin of the shelling of the "Al Jasrah". The Houthis have claimed responsibility for attacks on other freighters, but have not yet commented on the shelling of the "Al Jasrah". Due to the repeated attacks by the Houthis in the Red Sea, German shipowners had demanded protective measures from the German government and the EU as recently as Thursday. The German merchant fleet is the seventh largest among the world's major merchant fleets with a good 1,800 ships.

According to the National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, the USA is working with the international community, partners from the region and around the world on solutions to counter the threat. "We are building a coalition," said Sullivan at a press conference on Friday. The Huthi pose a significant threat to freedom of navigation, commercial shipping and legitimate trade along a vital artery at Bab al-Mandeb and in the Red Sea. Iran, as the mastermind behind the Houthi attacks, has a responsibility to take action itself to stop the attacks, Sullivan said.

One of the world's most important shipping routes to and from the Suez Canal in Egypt runs past the Yemeni coast. This canal connects the Mediterranean with the Red Sea and thus offers the shortest sea route from Asia to Europe. Around ten percent of all global trade passes through the Red Sea.

Since the outbreak of the Gaza war, the Iran-backed Houthi rebels have repeatedly attacked Israel with drones and missiles, among other things. They are also threatening to prevent ships of any nationality from passing through the Red Sea on their way to Israel in future. Only freighters delivering aid to the Gaza Strip would be granted passage. All others would become "legitimate targets of our armed forces", according to the rebels.

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1. The attack on the Hapag-Lloyd freighter in the Red Sea has caused concern among other shipping companies, such as Maersk, which has a significant presence in the region.
2. The USA, through its National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, has stressed the importance of countering the threat posed by the Houthi rebels in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea.
3. The German Shipping Federation has called on the Federal Government and the EU to provide protective measures for German ships in the Red Sea, citing the potential risks for German merchant ships, which make up the seventh largest merchant fleet globally.
4. The disturbance in shipping traffic due to these attacks has led to a rerouting of some ships, with some choosing to sail around the Cape of Good Hope instead of through the Suez Canal.
5. The German government, along with other international organizations, is working towards a peaceful resolution to the conflicts in the Yemeni region, recognizing the impact of these conflicts on the region's shipping industry.
6. The German Press Agency reported that the shipping company Mærsk has also expressed concern over the escalated security situation in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, urging more stringent security measures for merchant ships in these waters.
7. The international community has condemned the Houthi rebels' attacks on civilian ships, considering them a violation of international law and a threat to the freedom of navigation.
8. The attack on the "Al Jasrah" freighter in the strait between Yemen and Djibouti has highlighted the need for enhanced security measures for merchant ships in the Red Sea, a crucial shipping route connecting the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean.
9. Following the attack, Israel has expressed concerns about the potential risks to its ships passing through the Red Sea, given the threats posed by the Houthi rebels, who have already targeted Israeli vessels in the past.
10. The Houthi rebels' actions in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden have raised tensions between Yemen, Israel, and some international countries, leading to calls for a more robust international response to stop these attacks.
11. In light of these developments, Germany, the USA, and other countries have signed security agreements with companies, including Hapag-Lloyd and Mærsk, to provide additional protection to their ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
12. During a visit to Hamburg, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Hapag-Lloyd executives to discuss the security situation in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, emphasizing the need for closer cooperation between governments and shipping companies to ensure safe navigation for merchant ships.

Source: www.stern.de