Shipping calls on the UN to evacuate hundreds of seafarers stuck in Ukraine
More than 30 shipping organisations and companies are urging the United Nations to prioritise the immediate release of seafarers and ships trapped in Ukraine.
As the one-year anniversary of Russian invasion approaches, there are a reported 331 seafarers on board 62 ships stranded in Ukrainian ports.
In an open letter to Secretary General Antonio Guterres, 32 signatories, including the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), European Community Shipowners’ Association (ECSA), Bimco, and various other organisations and shipowners called on the UN to use its “diplomatic influence to address this matter urgently”.
“Our seafarers are the heart of our industry and cannot be forgotten. For 12 months now they have been caught up in a crisis far beyond their control. Simply doing their jobs cannot come at the expense of their lives, said the letter.
The signatories recognised the UN’s involvement in the Black Sea Grain Initiative that allowed safe passage of grain and fertiliser shipments from Ukraine but stressed that “this cannot come at the expense of innocent seafarers’ lives.”
The letter concluded by noting: “Action must be taken now. Without our seafarers, movement of the vital grain shipments out of Ukrainian ports would not have been possible. While there are challenges to evacuating seafarers and their ships, it must nonetheless be a top priority. Otherwise, we risk the lives of our seafarers, and this is unacceptable.”
