Swiss container shipping company MSC stops voyages through Suez Canal
Published: Saturday, Dec 16th 2023, 17:30
Updated At: Saturday, Dec 16th 2023, 17:30
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Following attacks by Yemeni Houthi rebels on ships in the Red Sea, the Geneva-based container shipping company MSC has halted its voyages through the Suez Canal for the time being. The world's largest container shipping company is doing this to protect the lives of its seafarers.
One of the company's freighters was attacked by a drone on Friday while transiting the Red Sea, as MSC announced on Saturday. All crew members of the "MSC Palatium III" are safe and sound. The ship sustained fire damage. It was taken out of service.
As a result of the incident, MSC ships will no longer sail east and west through the Suez Canal until the passage through the Red Sea is safe, MSC announced. Instead, the ships will sail around the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa. The voyages will therefore take several days longer.
The shipping companies Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd are also no longer operating through the Suez Canal for the time being. The canal connects the Mediterranean with the Red Sea, making it the shortest sea route from Asia to Europe. Around ten percent of all global trade passes through the Red Sea.
Militia wants to stop ships to Israel
Since the beginning of the war between Israel and the radical Islamic Hamas, the Shiite Houthi militia in Yemen has fired drones and missiles at Israel several times and attacked ships in the Red Sea. The Houthi rebels are threatening to attack any ship on its way to Israel as long as food and medicine are not allowed to enter the Gaza Strip.
Most recently, several merchant ships were attacked in the Red Sea. On Friday, the Iranian-backed rebels also fired on the container freighter "Al Jasrah" in the strait between Yemen and Djibouti.
According to Defense Secretary Grant Shapps, a British warship shot down a suspected attack drone in the Red Sea. The aircraft had been targeting merchant shipping, Shapps wrote on the short message service X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday. The destroyer "HMS Diamond" had fired a Sea Viper missile and destroyed the target. Shapps did not initially provide any further details, such as the origin of the drone. In addition to the "HMS Diamond", the British Navy also has the frigate "HMS Lancaster", three minesweepers and an auxiliary vessel deployed in the region to protect civilian shipping.
British minister: threat to trade
A few days ago, a US Navy destroyer in the Red Sea responded to a distress call from a tanker which, according to American reports, had been attacked by the Yemeni Huthi rebels. According to the responsible regional command of the US military, Houthi forces are said to have attempted to board the tanker. However, the attempt failed. Two missiles were then fired at the ship from areas in Yemen controlled by the Houthis. Both missed their target. In addition, a drone launched from this area was shot down.
British Defense Secretary Shapps called the attacks a "direct threat to international trade and maritime security in the Red Sea". London remains committed to "repelling these attacks". The Royal Navy has been continuously present in the region with ships since 1980. In addition to the "HMS Diamond", the frigate "HMS Lancaster", three minesweepers and an auxiliary ship are currently deployed in the Gulf region.
The German Shipowners' Association has called for an international military alliance with German participation to protect civilian shipping. The German Ministry of Defense recently examined a corresponding request from the USA.
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