Over 20,000 Global South Ship Workers Stranded at Sea Due to Iran War

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As Iran and the United States maintain rival blockades on the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters, we look at the more than 20,000 seafarers stranded on commercial ships since the outbreak of the war and unable to move out of the region. These maritime workers are often working-class men from developing countries across the Global South who form the crews on about 1,500 oil tankers, cargo ships and other vessels currently stuck on the water. Unpaid for several weeks, they lack the visas to disembark in any of the Gulf countries near the ships.

“There is lack of food, there is lack of provisions, there is lack of water,” says Mohamed Arrachedi of the International Transport Workers’ Federation, joining us from Bilbao, Spain. “The seafarers are just exposed and absolutely vulnerable.”

We also speak with Manoj Yadav, general secretary of Forward Seamen’s Union of India, who says the mental health of the workers is rapidly deteriorating as many have also lost connection to their families.

“They are trained for serving on board merchant vessels. They are not trained for the war,” Yadav says.

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