Canada and its allies are warning that disruptions from attacks on shipping vessels in the Red Sea are “adding significant cost” and delays to global shipping.
A joint statement Wednesday from Canada, the United States, United Kingdom and a host of other nations reiterates condemnation of Houthi attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea, noting a “significant escalation” over the past week.
“Ongoing Houthi attacks in the Red Sea are illegal, unacceptable, and profoundly destabilizing,” the statement reads.
The nations call attacks from the Yemeni-based Houthi a “direct threat to the freedom of navigation” that underpin global trade in “one of the world’s most critical waterways.”
Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen have stepped up attacks on vessels in the Red Sea since November to show their support for Palestinian militant group Hamas fighting Israel in Gaza.
The attacks impact a route vital to East-West trade, especially of oil, as ships use the Red Sea to access the Suez Canal.
In response, some of the world’s largest shipping companies have diverted vessels around southern Africa’s Cape of Good Hope, adding time and costs to voyages.
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Denmark-based shipping giant Maersk on Tuesday has reaffirmed it will pause shipping through the Red Sea indefinitely after an attack on one of its ships over the weekend. Germany’s Hapag-Lloyd also said it will avoid the passage until at least Jan. 9, when it will reassess the situation.
The nations’ joint statement released Wednesday says that the Red Sea is responsible for shuttling nearly 15 per cent of global seaborne trade, and that disruptions to the route are driving costs higher for operators.
“International shipping companies continue to reroute their vessels around the Cape of Good Hope, adding significant cost and weeks of delay to the delivery of goods, and ultimately jeopardizing the movement of critical food, fuel, and humanitarian assistance throughout the world,” the statement read.
The nations called for an end to the attacks and seizures in the Red Sea, and said that the Houthis would be held responsible for the consequences of ongoing disruption.
More to come.
— with files from Reuters
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