Two consecutive missile attacks, developments in the Red Sea continue to pose a profound threat to global trade

A missile fell near a ship southwest of the Yemeni port city of Aden on April 7, British maritime security sources said, the second such attack in the area in less than 24 hours.

The ship was attacked while passing through the Gulf of Aden on January 27. (Source: AFP)

Ambrey Maritime Security said it had received reports of a vessel being attacked in the Gulf of Aden, approximately 200 km off the Yemeni city of Mukalla. Vessels in the vicinity were advised to exercise caution and report any suspicious activity.

In a separate incident, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said a missile fell near a ship more than 100 km southwest of the port of Aden on April 7, but fortunately did not cause damage to the ship or cause any casualties.

The attack came after two missiles were fired at a ship southwest of the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah. The US-led coalition intercepted one missile while the other missed the ship, according to UKMTO.

The sources did not specify the force behind the two attacks, nor did they provide further details. However, over the past several months, Houthi forces in Yemen have repeatedly carried out attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea to put pressure on Israel in the conflict in Gaza.

In response to Houthi attacks, the US and its allies have repeatedly attacked Houthi targets in Yemen. The security instability in the Red Sea has forced many shipping lines to suspend their operations through the Red Sea and to switch to the longer and more expensive route around the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa. This has negatively impacted shipping through the Suez Canal.

The ship was attacked by Houthi forces in the Gulf of Aden, Yemen, on March 6. (Source: AFP)

On April 6, Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Arsenio Dominguez affirmed that such incidents have a profound impact on the world economy , directly threatening the global supply chain as disruptions to container transport slow down deliveries, increase costs and inflation, and affect energy and food security.

The first impact of the attacks in the Red Sea is on the safety of seafarers, the IMO Secretary-General said, affirming that the organization's primary concern is to ensure the health and lives of seafarers who work to ensure the flow of global trade.

In addition, attacks in the Red Sea have a negative impact on global trade and economy, as maritime transport accounts for more than 80% of total merchandise trade volume, of which 15% of goods are transported through the Red Sea.

The attacks forced cargo ships to reroute around the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa, increasing shipping rates and increasing emissions from ships taking longer routes, while the IMO is working to reduce these emissions.

Regarding the environmental impact, Secretary-General Dominguez pointed out that the incident of the fertilizer ship Rubymar sinking in early March after being attacked on February 18 negatively affected the marine environment and posed a navigational hazard to ships operating in the area.

IMO has coordinated with UN agencies such as the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the UNEP-OCHA Joint Environment Unit and the Emergency Assistance Agency for the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden (EMERSGA), to provide technical support and deploy a team of experts to Aden to assist the Government of Yemen in the event of a fuel or cargo spill from a ship.

To help protect crews from incidents like True Confidence, IMO is also drawing on some of the measures it adopted more than 10 years ago to combat piracy off Somalia in the Gulf of Aden, and is gathering experience and expertise to review and revise its guidance on seafarer safety.

The IMO Secretary-General said the organization is closely monitoring developments in the Red Sea and is taking diplomatic measures and engaging in dialogue with all relevant parties to ensure the protection of seafarers, ships and cargo.

IMO also actively engages with Member States and UN agencies and representatives from the maritime industry to gather experience and expertise to address the challenges of conflict in the Red Sea.

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