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LoginIMO Calls for Practical Solution to Restore Freedom of Navigation to Strait of Hormuz
London, August 28 (QNA) - The International Maritime Organization (IMO) today called for practical solutions to restore freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz as the conflict in the Middle East continues to affect shipping and maritime security.
IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said in a statement marking six months since the conflict began in the region that the organization had verified at least 70 attacks on international shipping since the start of the conflict, resulting in the deaths of 19 seafarers.
He added that the situation in the Strait of Hormuz remained unresolved, while thousands of seafarers continued to live and work under conditions of heightened risk and uncertainty.
Dominguez explained that while some ships and their crews had been able to leave the Gulf, as many as 400 vessels carrying around 6,000 seafarers had been unable to depart safely since the conflict began on Feb. 28.
He warned of the serious short-term and long-term repercussions of the crisis, noting that disruptions to vital supply chains for fuel, fertilizers and other commodities were affecting communities and economies around the world.
The IMO Secretary-General stressed the need for renewed political will and cooperation to fulfil this commitment, calling on all member states and the shipping industry to work with the IMO and the United Nations system to advance practical solutions for restoring freedom of navigation through the strait.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most strategically important maritime energy corridors, with around 20 million barrels per day of crude oil and petroleum products passing through it, equivalent to nearly a quarter of global seaborne oil trade, in addition to around one-fifth of global liquefied natural gas trade.
Disruptions in the strait since late February have reduced oil and gas flows and increased volatility in global energy prices, heightening concerns over security of supply and international trade flows. (QNA)
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