By Al-Fassel | 2024-01-19

As the Iran-backed Houthis continue their assault on commercial shipping in the Red Sea, civilian mariners from many countries have been caught in the crossfire, facing drone and missile attacks as well as hijackings.

More than two dozen mariners taken hostage during the Houthis' hijacking of the Galaxy Leader vehicle carrier remain in the group's custody, facing an uncertain future as they serve as unwitting pawns in the Houthis' political game.

As of Wednesday (January 17), Nippon Yusen, the Japanese company that operates the Galaxy Leader, had no fresh information on the seized ship.

"We have received no information, while we are worried about" the fate of the vessel and its crew, a spokesman told AFP, adding that Nippon Yusen had set up a task team to gather information to ensure the safety of the crew.

In a December 1 statement, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) condemned the Houthis' attacks and demanded the release of the Galaxy Leader and its crew.

And on January 10, it passed a resolution that condemns "in the strongest terms" the Houthis' multiple attacks off the coast of Yemen.

The resolution condemns the Houthis' attacks on merchant and commercial vessels and demands that the Iran-backed group immediately cease all such attacks and release the Galaxy Leader and its crew.

In remarks delivered the same day, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called attention to the plight of the crew, noting that "the Houthis have taken more than 25 hostages from the ships that they've seized since this fall."

Call for crew's release

The Galaxy Leader was in the Red Sea, en route from Türkiye to India, on November 19, when armed attackers boarded the vessel using a military helicopter and hijacked it near the Yemeni port of al-Hodeidah.

The Bahamas-flagged, British-owned vehicle carrier, operated by Japanese firm Nippon Yusen but having links to an Israeli businessman, was re-routed to al-Hodeidah along with its crew, according to maritime security company Ambrey.

Ambrey described the hijacking -- which the Houthis videoed for propaganda purposes -- as bearing the hallmarks of an Iranian-style operation.

Of the 25 crew members, 17 are from the Philippines. The others hail from Bulgaria, Ukraine, Mexico and Romania.

In a December 5 statement, the vessel's owner, Galaxy Maritime Ltd, called for the release of the crew, Reuters reported.

"The 25 crew members being held have no connection whatsoever with the current situation in the region," it said.

"Nothing can be achieved by their further detention."

The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs on Monday said the 17 Filipino seafarers being held hostage by the Houthis are safe, ABS-CBN News reported.

Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said the honorary consul representing the Philippines in Yemen was able to get firsthand information from the Houthis and relayed it to the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh.

"The Houthis will be responsible for deciding the release conditions of the crew of the Galaxy Leader," de Vega said.

The Department of Foreign Affairs is using diplomacy and the help of friendly nations to facilitate the release of the seafarers, he said, with hopes their release can be secured by the end of the month "or at the soonest possible time."

"We are in touch with the families to assure them also that we're doing what we can do," de Vega said. "I will not promise it, but we are working on it."

Red Sea routes suspended

British oil giant Shell on Tuesday announced it had paused transit through the key Red Sea shipping route indefinitely.

In December, a tanker chartered by Shell was targeted by a drone in the Red Sea, and harassed by Houthi boats, the Wall Street Journal reported.

In addition to Nippon Yusen, two other major Japanese shipping firms -- Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines -- on Wednesday announced they have suspended navigation through the Red Sea.

"We have suspended navigation through the Red Sea by all ships we operate," the Nippon Yusen spokesman told AFP, adding the decision was to "ensure the safety of crews."

The UNSC resolution, sponsored by the United States and Japan, calls for respect for the exercise of navigational rights and freedoms by merchant and commercial vessels in line with international law.

Eleven members of the UNSC voted for the resolution, and four members -- Algeria, China, Mozambique and Russia -- abstained. None voted against.

The resolution "takes note of the right of member states," in accordance with international law, to defend their vessels from attacks, including those that undermine navigational rights and freedoms.

It commends efforts taken to protect shipping under fire in the Red Sea and encourages member states to "support capacity building efforts" of the Yemeni coastguard to protect the sovereignty and integrity of the country.

Among its provisions, the resolution condemns the provision of any arms to the Houthis and "urges caution and restraint to avoid further escalation of the situation in the Red Sea and the broader region."