Two international shipping companies suspend all Shipments through Red Sea

WORLD, Dec. 17 (YPA) – Two more major international shipping companies have suspended passage of their cargoes through a key Red Sea strait following attacks by Yemeni forces on vessels bound for the occupied Palestinian territories.

The Swiss-headquartered Mediterranean Shipping Company (MCS) and France’s CMA CGM made the announcement on Saturday.

The two companies said they were halting traffic through the Bab al-Mandab strait, which is a waterway for transit of 40 percent of international trade.

The MSC said one of its container vessels was targeted in the Red Sea on Friday, noting that the attack caused no injuries, but the ship suffered fire damage.

CMA CGM said it had ordered all its vessels to leave the area and stay there until further notice, adding, “The situation continues to deteriorate and there are increasing concerns about security.”

The new development came after on Friday, two major international shipping lines suspended the transit of goods through the Red Sea.

Danish giant Maersk and German carrier Hapag-Lloyd said they temporarily suspended all journeys through the Red Sea.

Yemen’s Armed Forces have warned that they will target all the vessels that would use the country’s territorial waters in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea to reach Israeli ports.

E.M