By Junex Doronio
MANILA — Appealing for diplomatic efforts to address the Middle East conflict that caused attacks by Houthi rebels sympathetic to Hamas militants, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) on Thursday (07 March 2024) assured its full support and assistance to all the affected Filipino seafarers.
The DMW made the statement following a Houthi missile attack on a bulk carrier navigating the Gulf of Aden which has resulted in the death of three seafarers, two of whom have been identified as Filipino nationals.
It added that two other Filipino crewmen were “severely injured” in the attack which set the ship ablaze around 50 nautical miles off the coast of Yemen’s port of Aden.
“On the direction of the President, the DMW is extending the fullest support and assistance to the families of our seafarers. The DMW has coordinated with the principal shipowner and manning agency to work on the repatriation of the remaining Filipino crew members,” the DMW said in a statement.
It was gathered that the Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack on the Greek-owned, Barbados-flagged ship True Confidence on Wednesday (6 March 2024) that killed three seafarers onboard.
Two of the fatalities were Filipino seafarers.
“We in the Department of Migrant Workers sincerely extend our deepest condolences to the family and kin of our slain, heroic seafarers. For reasons of privacy, we are withholding their names and identities,” a DMW statement said.
The DMW also reiterated its call for ship owners to avoid “high-risk areas,” particularly the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea where Houthi rebels have concentrated their maritime attacks.
(el Amigo/MNM)
