UN maritime agency seeks release of 44 detained seafarers as food runs low

The regulator which works to ensure safety at sea has recorded 24 attempted and actual incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden region in the past three months – representing an alarming increase in threats against seafarers.

The 44 detained seafarers are being held aboard three vessels attacked in separate incidents occurring in April and May, according to IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez. They now face a shortage of food and water and the constant threat of violence, he added.

“These incidents are a stark reminder that the threat posed by piracy and armed robbery to seafarers has not receded and continues to warrant vigilance and support for coordinated action,” Mr. Dominguez said in an address to the IMO Council, which is meeting this week in London.

Increasing maritime threats

Alongside the increase in instances of piracy and armed robbery against vessels, the IMO warns that attackers are using increasingly dangerous weapons and escalating violence against innocent seafarers.

Globally, reported incidents of piracy and armed robbery at sea increased by 17 per cent between 2024 and 2025, rising from 146 incidents to 171, according to the IMO.

In 2009, 22 coastal and island States in the Western Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden, including Somalia, adopted the IMO’s Djibouti Code of Conduct, later expanded by the 2017 Jeddah Amendment, committing them to work together to combat piracy, armed robbery at sea and other transnational crimes

Through its Red Sea Project, the IMO also works to strengthen the capacities of Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen to enforce safe navigation for seafarers.

Support for seafarers in Strait of Hormuz

The IMO evacuated 2,500 seafarers from the Strait of Hormuz last month before being forced to suspend its operation on June 25 following an attack on a container ship in the Gulf of Oman.

The agency aims to evacuate 11,000 mariners in total stranded aboard 600 vessels stranded in the Persian Gulf due to continuing tensions over the US-Israeli war against Iran and subsequent counterstrikes from Tehran across the region, where a shaky ceasefire remains in effect.

At least 115 ships participated in the IMO’s successful evacuation. The agency is seeking renewed assurances from parties involved in the conflict before resuming evacuations.

Call for increased vigilance

Building on the IMO’s commitments to seafarers, Mr. Dominguez said the organization would continue to work alongside flag states, coastal states, regional bodies and industry to secure the 44 detained seafarers’ release.

As threats increase, Mr. Dominguez urged shipowners and operators to take all necessary precautions to protect crews and conduct thorough risk assessments before transiting the region.

The IMO Council’s meeting this week in London includes an agenda item on the protection of vital shipping lanes, and Mr. Dominguez has requested Member States’ support in securing the detained seafarers’ release.