A.P. Moller – Mærsk, the Danish global shipping giant, warned of persistent chaos and unrest in the Red Sea. An unrest which has been disrupting shipping activity for months.
On 22 December, the world’s second largest container shipping line operator, based in Copenhagen, issued a statement. The statement said 15 shipping line routes between Asia and Europe were affected by the unrest, as well as routes between US east coast to the Middle East.
The unrest
In Yemen, The Houthi group – a shia Islamist political and military organization – also known as Ansar Allah, said it wouldn’t allow any ship affiliated with Israel to pass through the Bab al-Mandab Strait. Spokesperson for the group, Yahya Sarea, said it ‘will continue its operations against the Zionist entity until it stops its aggression against Gaza.’
And ships that want to reach the Suez Canal in Egypt to cross the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea have to pass through the Bab al-Mandab Strait passage. Avoiding that passage means sailing around all of Africa.
In that regard, many shipping services have had to change their arrival days. The US and some European powers have formed a force to protect international trade in the Red Sea from Houthi attacks. But the Yemeni group warned Saudi Arabia and the UAE that it would target their oil facilities if they joined the partnership.
Source: Daily News Egypt
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