Seafarers stranded in the Gulf have launched claims for post-traumatic stress disorder amid warnings that Iran is using force against crews in the Strait of Hormuz.
Negotiations are under way to release two ships and their crew that were seized by Iran in April, a diplomat involved in the talks told The National.
Although the crew of the MSC Francesca are known to be unharmed, with food provided by Iranian authorities, the presence of Iranian armed forces on the ship is fuelling concern about the seafarers’ well-being.
“They may be fed and taken care of, but it is their freedom that has been taken away,” the diplomat said.
Seafarers stranded in the Gulf have lodged the first insurance claims for post-traumatic stress disorder (PSTD), according Lloyd’s Market Association, which represents underwriters, in a story first reported by specialist shipping publication TradeWinds. They include those on ships that have not been attacked by Iran.
Around 20,000 seafarers are believed to be stranded in the Arabian Gulf because of Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. There have been 38 attacks on ships, resulting in the deaths of 11 seafarers, since the crisis began, according to the International Maritime Organisation.
Neil Roberts, head of marine and aviation at Lloyd’s Market Association, said the number of lodged claims was not yet known, but it had been growing trend since the Somali pirates crisis in 2010, and exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.
He feared that PTSD among seafarers would have a long-term impact on shipping and staffing. “Crew are essential for world trade and they are the custodians of the assets we insure,” he said.
“There is a growing shortage of new recruits despite belated recognition after Covid that seafarers are key workers,” he said.
“It seems likely that there will be reluctance to sign on for certain routes, including those vessels heading to the Gulf.”
Crew members also fear the “increasing criminalisation” of their work, Mr Roberts said.
Iran’s reported reason for seizing MSC Francesca was the disconnection of its Automatic Identification System after it came under attack. Panama, the ship's flag state, has rejected this claim, saying that the master of the ship could legally switch off the AIS if a security risk presented itself.
Another issue had been a side effect of having mobile phones on board. This is useful for crews to contact their families, but it also increased the sense of isolation on board. “Whilst it allows family contact, it also means there is less social interaction on board as most people retire to their cabins,” Mr Roberts said.
The IMO's secretary general Arsenio Dominguez said last week that he was not surprised by the reports of the seafarers' claims.
“It doesn't surprise me. We can only imagine what they are going through,” he said at a press conference. His conversations with seafarers, including one who had been trapped for more than six weeks, showed the serious mental health toll of the crisis, he added.
“It is quite detrimental to their mental health, the fatigue and the stress that they go through. They do feel underappreciated and not really recognised as seafarers, which, unfortunately, is nothing new,” Mr Dominguez said.
