Conditions of Egyptian sailors stranded near the Strait of Hormuz amid security concerns

Despite the dangers surrounding the strait related to the conflict, Captain Al-Sayed Al-Shazly, head of the Egyptian Naval Officers Syndicate, confirmed that the ships carrying the Egyptian sailors are safe and are not currently being attacked, explaining that describing them as “stranded” is mainly related to the cessation of ship movement and the difficulty of them leaving the region, and not to the presence of a shortage of their basic needs, explaining that there are 22 sailors remaining, while 106 others have been returned.

The testimonies of some sailors reveal a very tense atmosphere that they experienced during their time in the Strait. One of the captains said that he and the sailors face great psychological pressure, especially when seeing ships exposed to fires or hearing explosions near them, stressing that the long waiting period made returning to Egypt an urgent requirement for them.

A marine engineer who requested to remain anonymous, who works on a general cargo ship, also spoke of fears of sea mines and booby-trapped boats, in addition to drones flying near ships.

He pointed out that poor communications represent an additional problem, as sailors cannot communicate with their families on a regular basis. He also spoke about difficulties related to food supplies, stressing that some companies were forced to reduce meals to maintain food stocks during the long period of downtime.

Among the stranded ships is the “Mastoura” livestock transport ship, operated by Captain Michael Makram, which remained for more than 4 months in the waiting area off the Omani port of Khasab.

William explained that the cessation of movement and the great pressure on the ports led to the difficulty of obtaining supplies and services, especially since the port of Khasab has limited capabilities compared to the number of ships accumulated in the region.

He pointed out that he saw missiles passing over the surface of the water towards land targets. He also talked about the difficulty of navigation due to interference with navigation systems in the Gulf region, which increases the risks of sailing and anchoring, especially with the limited port services and the absence of some means of maritime assistance.

Meanwhile, Mr. Al-Shazly explained that the Egyptian Naval Officers Syndicate is following up on the conditions of Egyptian sailors in the Strait, noting that a number of them have already begun to return.

Seafarers' conditions vary according to employment contracts. The contracts of some of them have expired, while the contracts of others are still valid, which makes the decision to return them linked in some cases to the obligations of the ship owner or the operating company.

He stressed that if the ship owner or operator violates his obligations towards the seafarers, the union intervenes to ensure the implementation of the rights stipulated in the Maritime Labor Convention.