Maritime Justice in the Red Sea: Significant psychological impact on sailors of ships attempting to break the Yemeni blockade
Exclusive Translation – Al-Khabar Al-Yemeni:
The recent attacks launched by Yemeni army forces on ships associated with Israeli and American navigation in the Red Sea are part of a legitimate response to the multiple occupations plaguing the region, most notably the Israeli aggression on Gaza. As global concerns mount regarding the security of navigation in the Red Sea, these attacks are deemed a crucial step in the resistance against colonial powers exploiting these strategic waters to bolster their expansionist policies.
According to a report by “Seatrade Maritime News,” which covers the impact of the attacks on sailors in the Red Sea, it was noted that the missiles and drones launched at commercial vessels in the region over the last 12 months have resulted in difficult psychological conditions for the maritime crew. One notable incident was an attack on a container ship sailing from Jeddah to Port Klang in Malaysia, where the crew successfully defended the vessel against an uncrewed surface vessel using weapons.
Nigel Griffiths, Chairman, Marine Advisory Medical Services, pointed out that the psychological impact on the ship’s crew was tangible despite the ship not sustaining major damages or physical injuries. Upon arriving in Port Klang, the crew underwent a psychological debrief, with some sailors expressing an urgent need for psychological support, while others said they didn’t want to return to the Red Sea again, citing their suffering with flashbacks and ongoing anxiety.
Although the attacks have caused psychological pressures on the crews, they don’t pose a direct threat to global navigation but rather serve as a reaction against the forces driving the war in the region.
Therefore, these attacks should be viewed as part of resistance strategies through which Ansar Allah seeks to disrupt and impact the interests of Western countries supporting the Israeli occupation. Typically targeting ships associated with Israeli, American, or British navigation, these attacks are directed towards nations adopting hostile stances towards region issues, especially the Palestinian issue.
It is important to remember that maritime attacks do not target sailors as individuals but rather serve as a reaction to colonial and aggressive policies in the region. According to Punit Oza, Founder of MaritimeNXT, who moderated a panel discussion on conflict and political geography in the Red Sea, there is a need to understand the psychological challenges faced by sailors in areas affected by geopolitical conflicts.
Therefore, ship attacks not only reflect resistance to occupation but also convey a message about the necessity to change the power equation in the region and prevent the Red Sea from being used as a tool to achieve political and economic interests detrimental to the Arab peoples and the Palestinian people.