The UK P&I Club has published a bulletin involving the following updates in relation to the current situation in Yemen from its local correspondent network.
From P&I Correspondent Hodeidah Shipping & Transport Co, Aden, Yemen:
- All the Yemeni Ports (Aden, Hodeidah. Mukallah and Saleef ports) are safe and secured for visiting vessels. Cargo handling is smooth and normal.
- Vessels are requested to liaise and keep close contacts with their respective agents / club representatives prior arrival.
- Vessel / master are required to possess all the official documents and marine certificates.
- All cargo documents pertaining to type, quantity, and other necessary details should be available onboard.
- Ships must obtain permission from the Coalition Forces Centre in Riyadh before proceeding to anyYemeni Port.
Stowaway: due to security reasons and refugee crisis, the Yemeni Government does will not permit disembarkation of any unofficial stowaways or refugees. In such cases, the master should liaise and immediately inform his agent/club reps, which in turn should follow all necessary procedures with Yemeni authorities according to Yemeni Laws. .
Master of the vessel has to advise the representatives of the club / agent, prior to arrival, of the names and nationalities of any security personnel that might be on board and prepare a list of ammunitions. The security personnel must also be included in the crew list. Aden Coast Guard will seal the arms in a special ship’s locker on arrival, and it will remain locked throughout the vessel’s operation and stay at Aden Port. The charge for this locker is US$ 2000. All the ship’s security personnel and crew are advised to remain on board and are allowed on shore only for medical treatment, arranged through the ship’s agents.
From P&I Correspondent Mutual Marine Services Al Mushtaraka, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia:
For the immediate future, it is very difficult to offer any certain advice. Talks between the two parties (i.e. the Official government which is supported by the Coalition forces, and the other party which is the Houthi who are still in control of north part including Hodeidah port) have been sporadic and for all practical purposes a complete failure. In Aden and elsewhere in the South, conditions are much better. Hodeidah & Saleef remain under Houthi control. The collation forces control the port approaches and therefore, can determine what cargoes will be allowed and what will not. Containers can no longer be discharged at Hodeidah after the strikes on the gantries. Geared ships might be an option, but most of the container operators are calling Aden.
However, the problems of dealing with claims, particularly the provision of normal guarantees for ship arrest, will remain difficult and slow. Although there is now a slow return of commercial shipping to Aden, which was effectively closed by military activity for some months, the problems of continuing civil strife, lack of security, and near complete absence of normal basic infrastructure and government service from institutions such as the courts, will continue for some time.
From the Yemen Ministry of Transport on 2 May 2016:
Starting from the date of Thursday 05/05/2016, all Shipping companies, Owners, vessels’ captains carrying goods and headed to following Yemeni Ports (Hudaydah, Salif, Mokha) to be committed to submit Entry Permit from UN Verifications and Inspections Mechanism (UNVIM) which is based in Djibouti and download the application of the Entry permit from the web.
Further details may be found by reading the bulletin below
Source:UK P&I Club
