UN informs nearly 1,000 sailors trapped in Ukraine ports since Russia's invasion on Feb 24

Amid the Russia-Ukraine war, the chiefs of two UN agencies - the International Labour Organization (ILO), as well as the International Maritime Organization (IMO) - have urged immediate action to safeguard sailors and vessels stuck in Ukrainian ports and neighbouring waterways. As per the IMO, up to 1,000 seafarers are stranded in the war-torn nation, including at Mariupol, which is under assault, and on ships in the Sea of Azov.  

Further, ILO Director-General Guy Ryder and IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim have described the sufferings of the sailors who have been trapped on over 100 trading vessels that are stranded in Ukraine ports and nearby waters. They outlined the issues in a joint letter which is addressed to the chiefs of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), as well as Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), as per ILO News.  

According to the joint appeal, “As well as the dangers arising from bombardment, many of the ships concerned now lack food, fuel, fresh water and other vital supplies.  The situation of the seafarers from many countries is becoming increasingly untenable as a result, presenting grave risks to their health and well-being.” 

In addition to this, the letter requested the three organisations to take 'urgent action' to help with the replenishment of crucial supplies for sailors on board the trapped ships.  

This action which has been taken by the two UN agencies, ILO and IMO, comes after the urgent warnings about the situation of the sailors from the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) and the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF). The ILO, IMO, ICS, and ITF are collaborating to offer information to these humanitarian organisations that will help them deal with the crisis, ILO News reported.  

Russian troops attack Ukraine cities from the Black Sea

Meanwhile, on April 8, from the Black Sea, Russian forces recently targeted Ukraine's Odesa Oblast. As per the Kyiv Independent, the Odessa city council reported citing the nation's Armed Forces that a missile attack by Russian warships entirely damaged some facilities in the region. The details of the attack have yet to be disclosed. 

Another similar incident was witnessed on April 3 when the Russian Defense Ministry stated on Facebook that high-speed marine, as well as air-based missiles, had wrecked an oil refinery in the Black Sea port of Odesa. Furthermore, as per media reports, Russian soldiers damaged three hot-lubricant storage containers in Odesa, which provided gasoline to Ukrainian military forces near Oysk.