Page 16: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (June 2024)

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Navigating Troubled Waters:

Current Trends in Marine Risk

By Captain Rahul Khanna, Global Head of Marine Risk Consulting, Allianz Commercial ecent incidents in the wake of the con? ict in Gaza been affected in the Red Sea alone, the latest crisis to impact have demonstrated the increasing vulnerability of shipping routes in recent years following the Covid-19 pan- global shipping to proxy wars and disputes. Be- demic and Ukraine war, both of which left many seafarers

R tween November 19, 2023, and the beginning of stressed and fatigued having spent months at sea.

April 2024, there were more than 50 attacks against merchant Seafarers are on the front line, putting their lives at risk shipping in the Red Sea by Houthi militants in response to daily. The maritime industry is already grappling with a work- the con? ict. We have also seen the ? rst total loss of a vessel, force and skills shortage and there is a great concern that the the ? rst fatal attack, as well as signs that the crisis may have crises of recent years will impact our ability to attract talent at spread following the seizure of a container ship by Iranian a time when it must meet growing demands from decarbon- forces in the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most important ization and an increasing reliance on technology.

chokepoint for oil shipping.

While we have seen sporadic attacks in the past, the con? ict Drones & Cyber: in Gaza has opened the ? ood gates. Even if a political solu- Shipping Faces Worrying Threat from New Tech tion is reached, we may see attacks continue as there is clearly The war in Ukraine and the Red Sea attacks have also re- now an opportunity for those wishing to disrupt shipping in vealed the increasing threat to commercial shipping posed by the Red Sea and beyond. Ultimately, shipping has become a drones, which are relatively cheap and easy to make, and dif- ripe target for those wishing to wage a proxy war. It opens ? cult to defend against without a large naval presence.

avenues for terrorists or militia groups to get recognition and Houthi militants have used a wide range of weapons and hit global markets. attack methods against shipping in the Red Sea and the neigh- boring Gulf of Aden, such as anti-ship missiles and large aer-

Attacks Put Crew Welfare in the Spotlight ial drones, including so-called ‘loitering munitions’ that circle

One of the biggest concerns resulting from the attacks is an area before targeting the vessel. the safety and wellbeing of seafarers. Hundreds of crew have Looking to the future, more technologically driven attacks 16 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • June 2024

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