6,000 Seafarers Stuck In Hormuz Without Food Or Water As War Escalates, UN Urges Immediate Evacuation

Published 24 July 2026 · india

6,000 Seafarers Stuck In Hormuz Without Food Or Water As War Escalates, UN Urges Immediate Evacuation Published By, Last Updated: July 24, 2026, 16:53 IST

6,000 Seafarers Stuck In Hormuz Without Food Or Water As War Escalates, UN Urges Immediate Evacuation Published By, Last Updated: July 24, 2026, 16:53 IST Amid the worsening war situation in West Asia, around 6,000 seafarers are stranded in Strait of Hormuz and the UN has called for their immediate evacuation and consular support. Rapid Read At least 6,000 seafarers are stuck in the Strait of Hormuz amid a worsening war situation. UN has called for their immediate evacuation. (source: AFP) The United Nations has raised alarm over a growing humanitarian crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, where thousands of seafarers remain stranded amid ongoing conflict. UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk called for urgent action, warning that crews are facing severe risks to their safety, health and basic rights.

According to the International Maritime Organization, at least 6,000 seafarers aboard around 400 vessels are stuck in and around the Strait. Many were unable to leave during a ceasefire, and the true number may be higher, with others unaccounted for across the Persian Gulf. Crews Abandoned At Sea The UN says some shipowners have abandoned their crews entirely. At least nine ships, carrying 93 crew members, have reportedly been left stranded at Iranian ports since the conflict began. Those onboard have been forced to survive with little to no food, water, fuel or medical care. Many are without electricity or any way to contact their families, leaving them isolated in a dangerous conflict zone. Rising Death Toll Seafarers continue to face direct threats as attacks on vessels persist in the region.

At least 17 seafarers have been killed since the conflict began, including two Indian crew members in recent weeks. Others died in an attack on an oil tanker near the Strait. The UN stressed that civilian ships are protected under international humanitarian law and that attacks against them are unacceptable. Call For Urgent Action Türk urged governments, shipowners and international bodies to act immediately. He called for safe evacuation and repatriation of stranded crews, access to food, water, medical care and communication, consular support for affected seafarers. He also warned that seafarers should not be forced to work in high-risk conflict zones or face retaliation for refusing such assignments. Wider Global Concern The UN also highlighted similar dangers in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov. Recent attacks on civilian vessels in the Odesa region have left dozens of maritime workers killed or injured.