More than 20,000 maritime workers, primarily from developing countries, remain stranded on commercial vessels in the Gulf region as tensions between the United States and Iran continue to escalate. The blockade on the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters has immobilized approximately 1,500 oil tankers, cargo ships, and other vessels.
Impact on Global South Workers
The stranded seafarers, many of whom are from the Global South, have been unpaid for weeks and lack the visas required to disembark in Gulf nations. Mohamed Arrachedi of the International Transport Workers’ Federation highlighted the dire conditions:
There is lack of food, there is lack of provisions, there is lack of water. The seafarers are just exposed and absolutely vulnerable.
Mental Health Crisis
Manoj Yadav, general secretary of the Forward Seamen’s Union of India, reported that the mental health of these workers is deteriorating rapidly. Many have lost contact with their families and are untrained for the prolonged uncertainty of war.
They are trained for serving on board merchant vessels. They are not trained for the war.
The ongoing blockade underscores the broader geopolitical tensions and their human cost, particularly for working-class individuals from economically developing nations.