The International Maritime Organization demanded the immediate release of over 90 seafarers held captive by pirates in the Gulf of Aden. Officials warned that escalating attacks on vessels operating in the region have left crews facing constant threats and severe shortages of food, fresh water, and medical care.
Maritime security in the Gulf of Aden has deteriorated following a wave of violent hijackings off the coasts of Yemen and Somalia. The International Maritime Organization demanded the immediate and unconditional release of every captive crew member after the SEAMULL vessel was seized on August 20. The statement followed the seizure of two commercial vessels off Yemen and Somalia in recent days, according to reports published on August 24, 2026, by Mücahithan Avcıoğlu and TASS in London.
Rising Hijackings Push Captive Seafarer Count Past Ninety
The recent seizure of the SEAMULL brought the total number of commercial vessels currently held by armed robbers and pirates in the region to six, as confirmed by International Maritime Organization Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez. According to the United Nations maritime agency’s head, Arsenio Dominguez, waters in the region are growing increasingly hazardous for merchant shipping, and shipping challenges are on the rise with the recent increase of piracy incidents in the Gulf of Aden.
“More than 90 innocent seafarers are now being held captive, their lives subject to constant uncertainty and threat, often with limited access to adequate food, fresh water, medical support and other essential services,”
Arsenio Dominguez, Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization
Families of the captured crews face an agonizing wait for information. Dominguez noted that every detained seafarer has relatives enduring an unimaginable ordeal, often with little reliable information about the well-being of their loved ones.
“I demand the immediate and unconditional release of all those being held captive. No seafarer should face violence, intimidation or exploitation simply for doing their jobs and keeping global trade moving,”
Arsenio Dominguez, Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization
Historical Parallels and Current Naval Challenges
Piracy off the coast of Somalia caused serious disruptions to maritime shipping from the late 2000s through the late 2010s, when armed groups attacked commercial vessels in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. Thanks to international naval patrols, the number of attacks declined significantly in the early 2020s, but pirate activity has recently increased again. Dominguez warned that the deterioration in maritime security required urgent international attention and warned that the renewed piracy threat must not be overlooked as global attention remains focused on other areas of heightened tension.
To combat the renewed threat, shipping operators have been urged to implement industry best-management practices and comply with the International Maritime Organization’s counter-piracy guidance. The IMO chief called on flag and coastal states to ensure vessels were adequately prepared to manage security risks and crews were not exposed to avoidable dangers.
Regional Frameworks and International Naval Cooperation
Addressing the underlying conditions that allow piracy to flourish requires sustained international naval cooperation. The UN maritime agency will continue supporting regional initiatives led by coastal states, including the Djibouti Code of Conduct and its Jeddah Amendment, Dominguez said.
“The international community has successfully confronted this threat before, and it must do so again,”
Arsenio Dominguez, Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization
Sustained naval cooperation remains essential to protecting merchant ships and their crews as the international body presses for the unconditional liberation of all detained workers.
Продолжение темы
