The International Maritime Organization (IMO) said on the 5th (local time) that about 20,000 crew members and about 15,000 passengers have been stranded in the Gulf (Persian Gulf) because of the Middle East war.
According to Agence France-Presse, Arsenio Dominguez, secretary-general of the IMO, said, "The IMO stands ready to work with all parties to ensure the safety and well-being of the seafarers affected by this situation."
With passage through the Strait of Hormuz effectively paralyzed by military clashes, about 200 oil tankers and about 140 container ships in the Gulf are reportedly at anchor and unable to depart.
The IMO also said that since the U.S. and Israel's attack on Iran on the 28th of last month, there have been seven ship-related incidents in the area, with two deaths and seven injuries tallied. Dominguez said, "This goes beyond economic impact and is a humanitarian issue," adding, "No attack on innocent seafarers can be justified."
Iran has effectively blockaded the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20% of the world's crude oil shipments pass. Some shipping companies, including Denmark's Maersk, have suspended cargo booking for the area.
Energy data firm Kpler said tanker movements through the Strait of Hormuz fell 90% from the previous week. Before the war, 24 to 50 tankers a day passed through the strait.