NYN| News:
Maersk Group shipping company said today, Monday, that the container shipping crisis in the Red Sea is expected to reduce the sector’s capacity between the Far East and Europe by 15 to 20 percent in the second quarter of the year.
The company stated that the shipping crisis caused by attacks from the Sanaa government’s forces is expected to continue until at least the end of the year.
Maersk mentioned in a customer advisory note today, Monday, “The danger zone has expanded, and attacks are reaching further areas in the sea.”
It added, “This has forced our ships to extend their voyages further, resulting in increased time and costs for delivering goods to their destinations at the moment.”
Earlier, Hapag-Lloyd container shipping company expressed concerns about the expansion of the ship shipping crisis in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden to include the Mediterranean, stating that it continues to avoid the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
The German shipping giant said, “The ‘danger zone’ associated with potential attacks by the Houthi group in Yemen has not yet extended to the Mediterranean Sea.”
The company added in email comments, “What we see is that the scope of attacks in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden is expanding more and more… That’s why we completely avoid this area.”
Forces from the Sanaa government target cargo ships in the Red Sea with missiles and drones owned or operated by Israeli companies, or transporting goods to and from Israel, later expanding to include American and British ships.
Sanaa’s forces say their operations are in solidarity with Gaza, which has been under Israeli war since October 7, 2023, supported by the US, resulting in the deaths of about 35,000 Palestinians and the injury of about 78,000 others, most of whom are children and women.
The European Union announced on February 19, 2024, the launch of a military operation called “Aspis” led by Italy in the Red Sea, while the United States announced the launch of an operation called “Guardian of Prosperity,” aimed at countering attacks by Sanaa government forces against Israel, in addition to airstrikes carried out by the US and Britain in Yemen. This prompted Sanaa government forces to target American and British ships, whether commercial or military, and prevent them from crossing the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea.
