The Danish shipping giant Maersk announced on Tuesday that it will not resume the passage of its fleet through a strategic strait of the Red Sea, after its suspension on Sunday following the attack by Houthi rebels against one of its ships.
Three sunken ships
On Sunday, the Maersk Hangzhou container ship reported being hit by a missile while passing through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait and then attacked by four Houthi rebel ships attempting to board it. The US military then indicated that it had sunk three rebel ships, following attacks on a container ship from the Danish aircraft carrier Maersk. According to their spokesman, ten rebels were killed in this attack.
20,000 ships every year
According to the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), 12% of world trade passes through it. The Red Sea is a “maritime highway” that connects the Mediterranean with the Indian Ocean and, therefore, Europe with Asia. Around 20,000 ships pass through the Suez Canal every year, the entry and exit point for ships passing through this area. This is the second time that the shipowner has suspended navigation in the Red Sea.
In mid-December, like other giants of global shipping, the Danish company suspended the passage of its ships through this important trade route, following attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels. He announced that he would resume them on December 24 and suspend them a week later. The Houthis, who say they stand in solidarity with Palestinian Hamas in its war against Israel in the Gaza Strip, have warned they will attack ships sailing off the coast of Yemen that have links to Israel.
Source: BFM TV
