Ormuz Strait: Thousands of sailors trapped on ships. Among them are Poles

The limited movement of ships in the Ormuz Strait caused hundreds of commercial units to gather in the Gulf area. Thousands of sailors are on board, including our citizens.

Polish sailors on one of the world's most important "narrow throats"

The Ormuz Strait has remained one of the key points of world shipping for decades. It is this "narrow throat" that one of the most important transport routes of energy raw materials takes place. Before the explosion current conflict Each day, around 20 million barrels of oil passed this road, corresponding to nearly one fifth of global demand.

However, the current situation in the Middle East has resulted in hundreds of merchant vessels awaiting safe passage in the area of the entrance to the Strait and the Gulf. As many as 20,000 seamen of different nationalities may be on board these vessels.

Among them are Poles. According to estimates presented by people from the marine environment, it may be even a few hundred officers and crew members working on tankers, LNG gas or offshore installations.

Ship traffic limited but not completely halted

The exact number of vessels in these waters is currently difficult to determine. Some shipowners, in accordance with security procedures, decided to disable AIS transponders in order to limit the ability to identify an individual in an increased emergency situation.

This means that the actual number of vessels located in the Gulf region may be significantly higher than indicated by public maritime traffic monitoring systems.

At the same time, not all units completely stopped crossing the Strait. There is information about ships that continue to pass through these waters, although traffic takes place to a much more limited extent than under normal conditions.

The greatest threat to shipping: sea mines

According to experts, the greatest risk to ships located in the region remains the possibility of using sea mines. Unlike rocket or drone attacks, which may be partially neutralized by the escort of warships, the threats below the surface of the water are much more difficult to detect.

The mine of the approach tracks in such a narrow throat as the Strait of Ormuz could paralyze shipping for weeks about which We wrote on our portal.

Life on ships and waiting for passage

Despite the difficult situation of the crew of ships remaining in the region, they operate in relatively stable conditions. Commercial units usually have food and fuel supplies for several months, while water desalination systems allow to maintain crew autonomy for a long time.

However, the biggest problem is not lack of supplies, but limited contact with families. In areas under tension, access to satellite and internet communications can be restricted or significantly more expensive.

For many sailors this means weeks of uncertainty and difficult contact with loved ones – at a time when one of the most important shipping routes The world is at higher risk.