22 Filipino seafarers repatriated after vessels affected by drone strikes

August 13 ------ Twenty-two Filipino seafarers have been repatriated to the Philippines after the vessels they were serving on were affected by drone strikes in the Strait of Hormuz and the Black Sea, according to the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).

In a statement, the DMW said the overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) arrived back in the Philippines on 10 August. The seafarers were crew members aboard the M/V Acheloos and M/V Else, which had 14 and eight Filipino crew members on board, respectively.

The repatriations come amid continued security risks facing commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and the Black Sea. Despite the dangers, Filipino seafarers continue to seek employment at sea, with a recent Al Jazeera report highlighting their continued return to maritime work despite the risks posed by ongoing conflicts.

At the height of the conflict in March, nearly 20,000 seafarers aboard around 1,500 vessels were reportedly stranded in the Strait of Hormuz. At least 17 seafarers have been killed in attacks since the start of the conflict. The Philippines accounts for more than a quarter of the global seafaring workforce. According to International Maritime Organization data cited in July, around 2,500 of the approximately 6,000 seafarers stranded in the waterway were Filipino.

Even after the US and Iran reached an interim agreement in June aimed at ending the conflict, there was no large-scale repatriation of Filipino seafarers. The DMW said more than 60 Filipino seafarers have since returned home from the Gulf, while most Filipinos aboard vessels that have continued transiting the Strait of Hormuz remain on board.

Source: safety4sea.com