The International Maritime Organization (IMO) will begin implementing an evacuation plan for more than 11,000 seafarers stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, the London-based UN agency announced on Tuesday.
UN to evacuate 11,000 stranded sailors from Strait of Hormuz
UNITED NATIONS, Jun 24 (APP):The International Maritime Organization (IMO) will begin implementing an evacuation plan for more than 11,000 seafarers stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, the London-based UN agency announced on Tuesday.
The development follows months of hardship and distress for thousands of innocent seafarers and comes on the heels of the memorandum of understanding between Iran and the United States.
The large-scale operation will be carried out in cooperation with Iran, Oman, other coastal States, the United States and the maritime industry.
IMO had secured the necessary safety guarantees and verified conditions for safe navigation, the agency’s Secretary-General, Arsenio Dominguez, said in a statement.
Paying tribute to 14 seafarers who lost their lives during the most recent escalation of the Middle East conflict, Dominguez underlined that IMO remains fully committed to ensuring the safety of seafarers and the continuity of global trade.
Speaking to the media during his daily briefing from New York, UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the operation represents a significant step towards easing the “humanitarian impact on thousands of seafarers who have faced months of uncertainty, restricted movement and mounting welfare concerns”.
