Swedish P&I Club update on the situation
The Swedish P&I Club has posted an article provided by Tatham Macinnes considering the potential legal implications for vessels calling at or transiting Yemen.
The situation in Yemen remains fluid and, with events moving quickly, very little is certain. For the maritime industry attention is focused on the south-western tip of Yemen where the Al Houthi rebels are said to have taken over a military base overlooking the strategically important Bab el-Mandeb straits.
Further, they are said to have moved weapons to the small island of Perim, which sits between Yemen and Djibouti. Arguably, the rebels now threaten all shipping that seeks to transit one of the busiest bottlenecks in the world.
It is unsurprising that the Egyptian government has expressed real concern at the development or that the Saudi-led Sunni coalition has bombed both sites.
This conflict has already affected ports of Aden, Al Hudaydah, Al Mokha and Al Mukalla with Yemen Times reporting a governmental ban on all vessels passing into Yemen territorial waters
Local P & I correspondents report that Al Houthi rebel forces are shelling Aden with tanks and consequentially the port of Aden is virtually closed except for some oil shipments at the Aden Refinery. Dry cargo shipments cannot take place due to a lack of stevedores. Ongoing fierce street battles continue between Al Houthi rebels and local resistance in Aden.
Yemeni ports of Al Hudaydah and Al Mokha on the Red Sea continue to function as there are no hostilities in this area. Offshore terminals also continue to operate
Further details may be found by reading relevant article on the Yemen crisis
Source: The Swedish P&I Club
