20,000 Seafarers Stranded in Persian Gulf as Crew-Change Crisis Deepens

The International Transport Workers' Federation and the International Chamber of Shipping have jointly declared a crew-change emergency in the Persian Gulf, estimating that approximately 20,000 seafarers are now stranded aboard vessels unable to transit the Strait of Hormuz or reach safe port for crew rotation.

The crisis, which began when hostilities disrupted Hormuz transits in late February, has now exceeded the MLC 2006 maximum service period of 11 months for the earliest-affected crew members. Vessels that entered the Gulf before the conflict began are effectively trapped: unable to transit outbound through Hormuz due to war-risk restrictions, and unable to conduct crew changes at Gulf ports where shore leave has been suspended due to security concerns.

ITF General Secretary Stephen Cotton described the situation as approaching the severity of the 2020-2021 COVID crew-change crisis, when an estimated 400,000 seafarers were stranded globally. While the current numbers are smaller, the concentration of affected vessels in an active conflict zone makes the humanitarian dimensions more acute.

Philippine manning agencies are among the hardest hit. The Department of Migrant Workers in Manila confirmed that approximately 3,200 Filipino seafarers are aboard vessels in the affected zone. maritime labor authorities Leo Cacdac stated that the department is coordinating with the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Riyadh and principal manning agencies to arrange emergency repatriation through overland routes to UAE airports.

The repatriation logistics are formidable. Crew members aboard vessels anchored at Fujairah or Khor Fakkan on the UAE's east coast can potentially disembark and fly home, but those aboard vessels in the inner Gulf at Jebel Ali, Dammam, or Bahrain face the challenge of reaching east-coast ports without transiting Hormuz by sea. Some operators are exploring helicopter transfers to shore, but the cost of approximately $15,000-25,000 per crew member makes this prohibitive for budget operators.

P&I clubs are receiving a surge of crew-related claims. The Standard Club issued guidance noting that crew illness, injury, and mental health claims have increased 340 percent for vessels in the Gulf zone compared to the same period last year. Extended service periods, combined with the psychological stress of operating in a conflict zone, are driving a spike in anxiety disorders and cardiovascular incidents among crew.

The International Maritime Organization's Maritime Safety Committee held an extraordinary session on April 2 to address the crisis. The committee urged all parties to the conflict to establish humanitarian corridors for crew-change operations, but no binding mechanism was agreed upon. Flag states were encouraged to waive documentation requirements for emergency crew rotations.

For Filipino seafarers specifically, the maritime employment contract provisions on repatriation are being tested. Under the standard employment contract, the principal is obligated to repatriate the seafarer at the end of the contract or when the vessel enters a war-risk zone. Manning agencies report that some principals are complying and arranging repatriation through alternative routes, while others are citing force majeure to delay crew changes.

The Philippine Overseas Workers Welfare Administration has activated its emergency assistance fund for affected families, providing interim allowances while repatriation is arranged. OWWA Administrator Arnell Ignacio confirmed that 847 applications had been processed as of April 5.

Maritime unions are warning that the crew-change crisis will have lasting effects on recruitment. If seafarers perceive that the industry cannot protect them during geopolitical crises, the existing global shortage of qualified officers, already estimated at 26,000 by BIMCO, will accelerate.