2023-12-15 23:52:08
After attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea, the shipping companies Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd are not allowing any more of their ships to sail through the Suez Canal for the time being. A decision on the situation will be made again on Monday, a spokesman for the Hamburg-based shipping company Hapag-Lloyd told the German Press Agency on Friday. The Danish shipping company Maersk said it was deeply concerned about the escalated security situation in the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The recent attacks are alarming and pose a significant threat to the safety of seafarers.
On Friday, the Hapag-Lloyd freighter “Al Jasrah” was attacked in the strait between Yemen and Djibouti. “There is material damage on board, the crew is unharmed,” said the shipping company’s spokesman. Containers in particular were damaged; the structure of the ship was not affected. The ship was able to continue its journey. According to the information, the freighter had sailed from Piraeus in Greece through the Suez Canal and was heading towards Singapore. According to media reports, there was a fire on board after the shelling.
The origin of the shelling is still unclear
The federal government condemned the attack and is considering a US request for a naval deployment. Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock spoke of an attack by the Shiite Houthi rebels in Yemen. “The federal government strongly condemns all attacks on ships, including of course the attack on the Hapag-Lloyd ship,” said the Green politician on Friday during a visit to Berlin by acting Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib. “The Houthis’ attacks on civilian merchant ships in the Red Sea must stop immediately,” she demanded.
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) said during a visit to Wunstorf near Hanover: “We are currently examining the request and the options that exist. But we are not yet at the end of the test.” A spokesman for the Ministry of Defense explained in Berlin that a few days ago the USA made a request to the German Navy as to whether it would be able to provide support in the Red Sea, “without that it was specifically backed with demands.”
The Hapag Lloyd spokesman was initially unable to provide any information about the origin of the shelling on the “Al Jasrah”. The Houthis have claimed responsibility for attacks on other freighters, but have not yet commented on the shelling of the “Al Jasrah”. Because of the repeated attacks by the Houthis in the Red Sea, German shipowners only called for protective measures from the federal government and the EU on Thursday. With over 1,800 ships, the German merchant fleet is the seventh largest among the world’s major merchant fleets.
According to National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, the United States is working with the international community, regional partners and around the world to find solutions to address the threat. “We are forming a coalition,” Sullivan said at a news conference Friday. The Houthis therefore pose a significant threat to freedom of navigation, commercial shipping and legitimate trade along a vital artery on the Bab al-Mandeb and the Red Sea. Iran, as the mastermind behind the Houthi attacks, is responsible for taking measures to stop the attacks, said Sullivan.
Christoph Ehrhardt, Beirut Published/Updated: Recommendations: 32 Susanne Preuß, Hamburg Published/Updated: Recommendations: 20 A comment from Nikolas Busse Published/Updated: Recommendations: 50 Peter Carstens and Christoph Ehrhardt Published/Updated: Recommendations: 31
One of the world’s most important shipping routes runs along the Yemeni coast to and from the Suez Canal in Egypt. This canal connects the Mediterranean with the Red Sea, providing the shortest sea route from Asia to Europe. Around ten percent of all world trade passes through the Red Sea.
Since the outbreak of the Gaza war, the Iran-backed Houthi rebels have repeatedly attacked Israel with drones and rockets, among other things. They are also threatening to prevent ships of any nationality from passing through the Red Sea on their way to Israel in the future. Only freighters delivering aid to the Gaza Strip will be granted passage. All others would become “legitimate targets for our armed forces,” the rebels said.
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