IMO calls for immediate end to Red Sea attacks

The International Maritime Organization (IMO)’s member states (MS) have called for an immediate end to ongoing attacks on vessels and seafarers that transit through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

The resolution is the first to be adopted by IMO MS on this issue since the Houthis seized the MV Galaxy Leader in November 2023, since when around 50 maritime attacks cost the lives of several seafarers, while the 25 crew members of the Galaxy Leader remain hostage.

IMO’s Maritime Safety Committee, which called for the immediate and unconditional release of the crew, condemned the attacks as “illegal and unjustifiable”, adding that they pose a direct threat to the freedom of navigation in one of the world’s most critical waterways, also resulting in major disruptions to regional and global trade.