Stuck at sea: How to save the world’s seafarers and the supply systems they support

Stuck at sea: How to save the world’s seafarers and the supply systems they support
Kate Whiting 19 Jun 2020

Global action is being urged to stop a humanitarian crisis unfolding at sea.

Crew changes on merchant ships have been stopped for months, putting those onboard at risk of depression and injury.
Industry leaders are calling for stranded seafarers to be recognized as key workers, have visas waived and given access to flights to return home.

Supply systems and the global economic recovery are also at stake, as shipping is the lifeblood of the global economy, transporting 90% of global trade.
Clapping for essential workers on suburban streets cannot be heard at sea, where hundreds of thousands of crew members are stranded on ships they can’t leave, risking their lives to put food on our plates.

Our complex global supply system would grind to a halt without them, as merchant ships transport about 90% of global trade by volume, from food and medical goods, to energy and raw materials. In 2018, world seaborne trade volumes rose to an all-time high of 11 billion tonnes.

But as the pandemic continues, the mental health and safety of crews are under threat, imperilling the global economic recovery from COVID-19, according to a growing swell of leaders and organizations, including the World Economic Forum.

more... https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/06/shipping-seafarers-covid-19-menta...