Maersk halts Red Sea shipping until further notice after Houthi militant attack
Maersk, the world’s largest container shipping company, has announced that it has halted all its shipping services in the Red Sea following a Houthi militant attack on one of its vessels near the area. The incident, which is believed to have occurred in the Bab el-Mandeb strait near the Yemeni coast, left one crew member dead and three others injured.
In a statement, the company said, “We advise all shipping companies and vessel operators to exercise an increased degree of caution when navigating in the region until further notice.”
The incident has added further strain to an already fragile situation in the region, with Yemen currently caught in the throes of a civil war that has been ongoing since 2014. This attack serves as a stark reminder of the dangers that both vessel operators and crew members face when attempting to navigate crucial trade routes in the area.
Maersk’s decision to halt its services will certainly have an impact on the Red Sea shipping industry, which provides a vital conduit for necessary goods to and from the Middle East and beyond. In response to the attack, a coalition of forces led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates has been assembled in order to provide additional security in the region, but it remains to be seen how effective such measures will be.