More than 20,000 Indian seafarers working on merchant vessels in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz face a looming humanitarian crisis as escalating regional tensions threaten to trap ships and strand crews without food, medicine or safe exit routes, a maritime union said.
The National Union of Seafarers of India (NUSI), one of India’s oldest seafarers’ bodies, urged the government to treat the situation as a national priority and activate urgent evacuation protocols, warning of a conflict spillover into vital shipping lanes.
The situation remains fluid, with crew movements changing daily based on vessel schedules, port restrictions, flag-state rules and security advisories, the union said.
“There is growing panic among seafarers and their families. We are constantly receiving calls from worried relatives asking if their family members will safely return home,” Milind Kandalgaonkar, NUSI’s general secretary-cum-treasurer, said in a statement on Saturday.
Merchant navy crews are civilian workers who keep global trade moving but have limited protection, the union said. “These seafarers serve global trade and India’s economic security under extremely difficult conditions and deserve urgent protection,” said Kandalgaonkar, who spent nearly two decades at sea. He cited a convergence of risks including missiles, drones, cyber disruptions, sanctions, insurance hurdles and operational restrictions.
NUSI said it has activated an emergency support initiative, “NUSI Sahara,” to handle distress calls related to safety, mental stress, repatriation, unpaid wages, abandonment and coordination with authorities.
India has stepped up naval deployments under Operation Urja Suraksha, aimed at monitoring and protecting Indian maritime interests in high-risk waters, the union said. |
