© Jie Zhang View of the Strait of Hormuz. Mass evacuation of sailors begins in the Strait of Hormuz Peace and Security
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has released new details of its plan to evacuate more than 11,000 sailors trapped in the Strait of Hormuz.
The plan is directly linked to ongoing negotiations between Iran and the United States to end the conflict, which are being conducted under a memorandum of understanding signed by both countries last week. If the plan is successful, the number of ships passing through the strait will return to pre-war levels of about 130 ships per day – up from 20 to 30 in recent days.
Talked to UN News Service, an IMO spokesman said the agency was already contacting ships through staff on the ground to begin the operation. It is planned that between 500 and 600 commercial vessels will take part.
The UN agency has received the necessary security assurances and verified conditions for a safe exit from the strait, where the stoppage of shipping has caused a global energy shock with long-term consequences, especially for developing countries.
In today’s operational communiqué sent to shipping companies and captains, the agency identified two temporary sea corridors that should be used to exit the strait. Эти маршруты отличаются от тех, которыми суда пользовались до заморозки судоходства, и включают «северный маршрут» (вдоль побережья Ирана) и «южный», проходящий через воды Омана и Объединенных Арабских Эмиратов.
«Иран и Оман несут ответственность за обеспечение безопасности навигации в своих территориальных водах», – подчеркнули в ИМО, добавив, что суда могут быть остановлены в любой момент по for security reasons or to prevent collisions with naval forces.
Danger of sea mines and other risks
Чтобы обеспечить безопасный выход судов и снизить риски, связанные с минами и плохими условиями навигации, ИМО рекомендует капитанам ждать сигнала и строго следовать инструкциям прибрежных государств. Each ship will be assigned a specific day of departure.
Since the start of the bombing of Iran by Israel and the United States on February 28, 14 sailors have been killed in the Strait of Hormuz, and the water route itself has been seriously disrupted.
“After months of the most difficult trials for thousands, nothing has happened. guilty sailors and the negative consequences for the entire world, I welcome the peace agreement between the United States and Iran with deep satisfaction. This is a decisive step towards restoring maritime security and ending unacceptable attacks on civilian ships,” said IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez.For Third Mate Clarisse Banga, the daily mental pressure of being on a ship in the Strait of Hormuz was a draining ordeal.
“Beyond the stress of the job itself, we are stressed by everything that’s going on around us,” she says. “We don’t know when the war will end. We don’t know when our ship will be able to safely navigate the strait.” “We have corporate procedures and clear rules… As the third mate, I am responsible for preparing and conducting drills so that everyone knows what to do in the event of an emergency. If you know your responsibilities well, everything will go smoothly,” explains Bangui.
A specialist from the Philippines was evacuated from her ship earlier this month – before the official announcement of the IMO plan.
“I don’t think anyone can truly understand what it’s like to be in a war zone if they are there themselves wasn’t,” she says. “Every day there are missile strikes, drone attacks, alarms and urgent notifications on your phone. You really don’t know what’s going to happen in the next minute.”
She says the best thing that can be done now for those still on ships in the strait is to give them confidence and support: “Helping the crew means reducing their stress, be it economic pressure, operational difficulties or something else.”