#Trends

Seafarers face unprecedented risks amid geopolitical conflicts in global shipping lanes

The International Maritime Organization marks Day of the Seafarer on June 25 amid an unprecedented crisis affecting 1.8 million seafarers worldwide. The IMO is coordinating the evacuation of more than 11,000 seafarers and hundreds of ships stranded in the Persian Gulf following months of conflict. The IMO has verified dozens of attacks on merchant shipping since hostilities erupted around the Persian Gulf, resulting in the deaths of 14 seafarers. Commercial vessels now operate under elevated security conditions in the Strait of Hormuz, Red Sea, and Black Sea, with crews navigating missiles, drones, naval mines, and military checkpoints alongside traditional maritime hazards.