Looking at the calm sea, one might think that everything is fine, and sailors who are unable to leave the Gulf sometimes manage to forget that they have been in a war zone for three months, writes the BBC.
Pakistani Hassan Khan, who did not want to give his real name, said it was strange how calm everything looks, but in reality the people are not at all calm. Everything looks calm in this part of the Persian Gulf, but the sailors are not. Khan and 20,000 other sailors have been unable to leave the Gulf since the end of February because the Strait of Hormuz has been closed. What was once one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, carrying 20% of the world’s oil and natural gas, is now empty, missiles fly overhead, and the water is mined.
Despite everything, the crew of the ship led by Khan has tried to stick to the usual routine, although no one wants to leave the ship when they are allowed to take free moments to go ashore. Cheerful conversations have been replaced by an anxious silence, interrupted only by the vibration of their phones. People even curl up in their sleep at the slightest sound. Khan said that stress is always present, and everyone is simply tired, both physically and mentally.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) estimates that there are about 1,600 ships on the wrong side of the Strait of Hormuz. A few days after the hostilities began,
Iran closed the strait, the only way out of the Persian Gulf, and has banned crossing it without express permission.
The captain of another ship, Shafiqul Islam, said that it feels like being trapped in a shallow pond – there is only one way out, and that is the Strait of Hormuz. The Bangladeshi-flagged ship Banglar Joyjatra, which is carrying 37,000 tons of fertilizer destined for South Africa, has tried twice to leave the Gulf. Both attempts were unsuccessful.
The ships have moved to other ports or anchored a safe distance from shore. Water and food supplies are becoming an increasingly pressing issue. This can be done without entering ports, as the Gulf states, especially around Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Kuwait, have established a network of supply services, but it is currently impossible to predict supplies. The prices of basic necessities have risen sharply, especially water. The 180 tons of water purchased by the Banglar Joyjatra cost 11,000 dollars. Previously, such a quantity of water cost between 1,500 dollars and 2,000 dollars. A Korean sailor from another ship said it looked like traders were taking advantage of the situation to increase their profits.
The stranded ships will need more water as summer sets in. The air temperature already exceeded 30 degrees Celsius in May, and could rise to 45 degrees in the near future.
The ship commanded by Khan has both food and water for now, but everything has become simpler.
It is still possible to buy chicken and beef, but vegetables and lentils are harder to find.
Despite the unenviable situation, Islam considers himself lucky. On the second day of the conflict, his ship was just 200 meters from the port of Jebel Ali in Dubai, which was hit by an Iranian strike. Since then, he and the 30 crew members of the ship have lost count of the hits they have experienced. Sometimes missiles fly over one ship, and debris falls on another.
Shipping companies, which are suffering from the situation, are hoping to reduce personnel costs. Many sailors are nearing the end of their contracts, and large-scale crew rotations are already overdue. Given the circumstances, it will be difficult to find enough manpower for the ships, even if the war ends.
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