Shipping - Shipowners demand protection from Houthi attacks
German shipowners are calling on Germany and the EU to take protective measures against attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels on ships in the Red Sea. "Germany and the European Union must take the situation very seriously," said Martin Kröger, Managing Director of the German Shipowners' Association (VDR), in Hamburg on Thursday. It must be ensured "that civilian merchant shipping and in particular the seafarers on our merchant ships are not drawn into the conflict between Israel and Hamas, which the Houthis cite as the reason for the attacks". The German merchant fleet is the seventh largest among the world's large merchant fleets with a good 1,800 ships.
Since the outbreak of the Gaza war, the Iranian-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. Most recently, the Houthi rebels attacked a tanker off the coast of Yemen directly with a cruise missile.
The Suez Canal with its access via the Red Sea is the most important waterway for trade between Europe and Asia. "Around 20,000 ships pass through the affected region every year," says the shipowners' association. The Suez Canal is particularly important for Germany. The only alternative route via the Cape of Good Hope near Cape Town takes 14 days longer than the journey via the Suez Canal.
"It must be a key priority for Germany and the European Union to keep this sea trade route, which is so important for Europe, open and safe," said Kröger. "It also remains important that NATO partners such as the USA and France, which have already deployed their navies to support security in the region, work closely with the EU, both politically and militarily, to ensure free and safe shipping."
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Source: www.stern.de
