Greetings to all members of the Eritrean Seaman Union (ESU) across the globe and to those following the critical issues of the Red Sea. The conflict in West Asia involving the United States/Israel, and Iran continues to escalate, causing widespread disruption. As part of our ongoing efforts to serve as a voice for our seafarers, ESU Chairman Chief Engineer Paulo Antonio shared the following insights regarding the current situation with a global maritime news outlet:

Figure 1.MARINE TANKS India’s Maritime News & Seafarers Magazine logo

Eritrean Seaman Union Raises Alarm: Thousands of Seafarers Trapped in Gulf Crisis, Stationary Risk Emerges as Major Threat

Amid escalating tensions in the Gulf and Red Sea region, the Eritrean Seaman Union (ESU) has issued a serious warning, highlighting a critical but overlooked danger—stationary assets, vessels, and crews stuck in conflict zones with no ability to move.

Chairman Paulo Antonio stated that the situation has evolved beyond general maritime tension into a phase of direct industrial disruption. Offshore operations in key regions such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE have either been suspended or are operating under extreme caution.

Figure 2. Chief Engineer Paulo Antoni, President of the Eritrean Seaman Union

In such conditions, vessels are unable to depart, leaving crews effectively stranded on board and exposed on what can be described as a frontline environment. The

Union describes this as a “stationary risk,” a threat far more severe than that faced by vessels in transit.

Hundreds of Offshore Supply Vessels (OSVs), tied to complex regional energy infrastructure, are unable to reposition. This makes them particularly vulnerable to potential attacks, technical failures, and incidents such as GPS spoofing.

The human impact is significant. Thousands of seafarers from India, the Philippines, Egypt, and several African nations are currently affected. It is estimated that around 20,000 seafarers are caught in the Hormuz and Gulf bottleneck. The situation is further aggravated by sudden port closures and constantly changing operational regulations, making crew changes nearly impossible.

This has direct implications for maritime safety. Prolonged deployments lead to fatigue, widely recognized as one of the leading causes of maritime accidents. An exhausted crew poses a serious risk not only to the vessel and cargo but also to the marine environment.

The Union has called for urgent action, recommending the establishment of protected corridors for crew rotation and emergency evacuation, clear identification of civilian vessels and offshore platforms to avoid misidentification, and strict enforcement of international maritime laws on maximum service duration.

Chief Engineer Paulo Antonio emphasized that the true engine of maritime commerce is not the vessel, but the crew operating it. Without ensuring their safety and timely rotation, the situation risks escalating into a far more serious crisis.

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For more information and updates, we invite you to visit our official website at: https://eritreanseamanunion.org/ – and to the Indian maritime news https://online.pubhtml5.com/muyle/ohmj/

Eritrean Seaman Union,

prepared by the Board of Directors