Image: The Conversation
Faizel Patel – 16/02/2021
The director of legal and external affairs at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) says they are doing all they can to resolve the crisis surrounding the fate of thousands of seafarers who have been stuck at sea since the outbreak of COVID-19.
The fate of the seafarers who play a crucial role in keeping global trade flowing is being labelled a “humanitarian crisis at sea”.
More than 300 firms and organisations are urging for them to be treated as “key workers”, so they can return home to their families without risking public health.
Speaking to Radio Islam, Fred Kenney says they have been trying to resolve the situation for over a year.
“When the pandemic began and countries began closing their borders and locking down their ports, a backlog was created. If you consider that there are between 1.5 and two million seafarers in active employment, you are talking about half the workforce that’s affected by this crisis.”
Kenney says the seafarers are facing a grave situation.
“We are now seeing reports of seafarers that have been stuck on ships for more than twenty-one months which is an extraordinary amount of time not just for the humanitarian aspects of it, but also for the safety aspects. We are very concerned about seafarers getting overly fatigued by the length of time they’ve been stuck on these ships.”
Kenney says governments have to enact policies and allow for the relaxation of restrictions so that cew changes can occur safely.
More than 90% of global trade from household goods to medical supplies is moved by sea.
Listen to the interview with Fred Kenney
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