A Greek-owned cargo ship was hit by a missile off Yemen amid Houthi rebel attacks in the Red Sea, leading some shipping companies to opt for a major detour around southern Africa rather than the usual key route between Asia and Europe.
A Greek-owned cargo ship was hit by a missile off Yemen, a maritime risk management company said on Tuesday, following a string of attacks in the Red Sea by Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
The ship, which has visited Israel since the outbreak of war in Gaza and was headed to Suez, changed course and headed to port after the incident, Ambrey said.
There was no immediate comment from the Houthis, who launched attacks on American vessels on Sunday and Monday following US and UK strikes on their territory last week.
The Houthis have been targeting what they deemed Israeli-linked vessels but after Friday’s strikes, they declared US and British interests “legitimate targets.”
Earlier, Qatar’s Prime Minister said liquefied natural gas shipments would be affected by tensions in the Red Sea, and warned that strikes on Yemen risk aggravating the crisis.
“There are alternative routes, those alternative routes are not more efficient, they’re less efficient than the current route,” Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani told the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Rather than use the key route between Asia and European markets, which normally carries about 12 percent of global maritime trade, some shipping companies are now taking a major detour around southern Africa.
Katrine Dige Houmøller, with AFP
