UN chief condemns renewed Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping
The Yemeni group resumed attacks on ships this week when it seized and sank two vessels as they attempted to pass through the waterway linking the Mediterranean Sea with the Indian Ocean. Four seafarers are presumed dead and 11 others are still missing.
The attacks were the first carried out by the group on international shipping for more than six months. In response to Israel's war on Gaza, the militants attacked more than 100 vessels between November 2023 and December 2024, often using missiles and drones.
The campaign forced shipping companies to reroute around Africa, adding significant time and costs to shipping goods between Asia and Europe.
Hopes that shipping through the waterway may be returning to normal were shattered last weekend when the Houthis attacked and sank the Magic Seas. All the crew were rescued.
Then on Monday, the group attacked the Eternity C before sinking it on Wednesday. Only 10 of the 25 aboard have been rescued. Both the ships flew Liberian flags and were operated by Greek companies.
Guterres 'strongly condemned' the resumption of Houthi attacks on civilian vessels, his spokesman said.
'The sinking of both the Magic Seas and the Eternity C, along with the deaths of at least four crew members and injuries to others, is a dangerous re-escalation in this critical waterway,' he said.
The secretary-general called on the Houthis not to impede the ongoing search and rescue operations for the missing crew.
'Beyond being an unacceptable attack on the safety and security of seafarers, these acts also violated the freedom of navigation, caused a hazard to maritime transport and represent a serious risk of a significant environmental, economic and humanitarian damage to an already vulnerable coastal environment,' he said.
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