Ships and sailors were increasingly caught in the crossfire of unrelated wars

Four regions – the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea, Somali waters and the Black Sea – are now simultaneously active danger areas, on a scale unprecedented in the shipping industry.

Ships and sailors are trapped and attacked in conflicts that have nothing to do with the ships themselves.

Damien Chevalier Director of the Maritime Security Division at the United Nations International Maritime Organization (according to me) talked to UN News about the scale of the threat and what is being done to protect the ship and its crew.

What crisis is the shipping industry facing?

This is the first time that so many ships and sailors have been threatened in several areas at once. The crisis in the Strait of Hormuz was unprecedented in terms of the number of ships (2000) and sailors (20,000) affected at the start of the conflict.

The industry now faces a combination of crises: not only Hormuz, but also Houthi attacks in the Red Sea and a sharp rise in piracy in nearby Somalia, where sailors are being held hostage.

There has also been a significant increase in attacks in the Black Sea, with conflict parties using drones to target oil tankers and grain carriers.

Why is there an increase in piracy off the coast of Somalia?

Naval assets are more focused on threats in the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz, so pirates are taking the opportunity to operate, especially against smaller and more easily attacked bulk carriers.

Recent meetings on maritime law enforcement have focused heavily on combating piracy, given the increasing incidents and deteriorating security situation in Somalia.

Somalia is drafting new anti-piracy laws, which could help address key gaps; lack of legal framework to humanely prosecute captured pirates, even when naval assets are present.

What happened in the Black Sea?

There is no direct connection between what is happening in the Black Sea and the Strait of Hormuz, so, in this respect, it is a crisis in itself.

Verifying information is difficult and disinformation from warring parties is common. Although exact figures cannot be confirmed, the number of attacks, ships targeted, and crew fatalities or injuries in the Black Sea is extremely concerning.

What we do know is that Ukraine’s grain ports only receive one or two ships a day, even though it is harvest season. We usually expect to see 20 to 30.

Why is shipping a common thread in these conflicts?

What makes this moment truly unprecedented is not just the number of incidents, but also the pattern behind them.

Shipping has become an instrument of geopolitical influence.

Whether it’s drones targeting oil tankers and grain carriers in the Black Sea, Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, or a resurgence in piracy off the coast of Somalia exploiting a naval vacuum left by other crises, commercial vessels are increasingly being treated as pressure points in disputes between countries.

Sailors are the first to feel the impact. An additional risk comes from substandard vessels in various regions of the world, something the IMO is working to do, including through addressing issues such as fraudulent ship registration and counterfeit ship registration.

What are the broader economic impacts?

The consequences are severe and far-reaching. The Strait of Hormuz itself carries around 20 percent of the world’s oil, so disruptions that occur there will have an impact on inflation and the cost of living globally.

The Strait of Hormuz and the Black Sea are also important for fertilizer and for grain exports, so food security is at stake. The impact will likely be felt until next year, especially in developing countries.

Although rich countries can draw on their strategic reserves, this is only a short-term buffer; once reserves are depleted, a second wave of crisis will occur. Rising shipping costs, from route changes to additional security measures, compound the problem, driving up prices in addition to reduced supply.

Being a sailor has become a very dangerous profession

What are the long-term concerns?

Perhaps the most profound concern is the future of the seafaring workforce itself because without seafarers there is no shipping industry.

With the increasing loss of life in the Black Sea, Red Sea and Strait of Hormuz, being a sailor has become a very dangerous profession. Sailors are not trained to deal with threats from actions related to security issues or broader geopolitical situations.

This makes it increasingly difficult to attract younger generations who are concerned about long distances from family and friends and limited internet connectivity.

The consequences of these shortages may not be apparent for five to ten years, and by then it will be too late to address them quickly, given the time required to recruit, train, and qualify new seafarers.

Another risk is to the environment. Any ship that is attacked could pose a threat to the marine environment.

What’s the solution?

Diplomacy, respect for humanitarian and international law, and a return to constructive engagement through the UN rather than hostile statements.

We should not normalize threats to shipping, for example by focusing on arming ships. This may even encourage certain parties to develop smaller, more evasive weapons in response.

We must focus on diplomacy.