The Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization said that nearly 6,000 seafarers aboard 400 vessels, since the start of the fighting, have been unable to leave the Persian Gulf with security.

Arsenio Dominguez added that the war continues to create major disruptions to vital supply chains and maritime trade in the region.

According to the organization’s announcement, at least 70 attacks in the past six months have targeted commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, and 19 seafarers have been killed in those attacks.

Dominguez said that the ongoing conflict in the Middle East has exposed maritime crews to growing risks and operational uncertainty.