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Foreign Ships Stuck in Ukraine Running Low on Food Supplies
Reuters Total Views: 711
March 23, 2022
By Jonathan Saul
LONDON, March 23 (Reuters) – Food and medical supplies onboard over 100 foreign flagged ships stuck in Ukraine due to the conflict are running low, with little progress on creating a maritime corridor to allow them to sail away, industry officials said on Wednesday.
London’s marine insurance market has widened the area of waters it considers high risk in the region as the conflict intensifies and perils to merchantshipping grow.
The UN’s shipping agency said this month it would work to create a safe maritime corridor for merchant ships and crews stuck in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov.
Five merchant vessels have been hit by projectiles – with one of them sunk – off Ukraine’s coast.
Some foreign crew members that were onboard ships have been evacuated out of Ukraine, said Guy Platten, Secretary General with the International Chamber of Shipping industry association.
But there are still around 140 foreign flagged vessels with over 1,000 mariners from 20 countries that are unable to leave because of the fighting.
“Seafarers … have become the collateral damage in the conflict,” he told a virtual news briefing. ..
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