IMO Secretary-General calls for urgent release of 44 seafarers held by pirates

The IMO Secretary-General has urgently appealed for the release of 44 seafarers held captive aboard three hijacked vessels (MT Honour 25, Eureka, and Sward) in Somali waters and the Gulf of Aden, following separate piracy incidents between April and May 2026. A 17% global rise in piracy incidents and 24 recorded attacks in the Red Sea/Gulf of Aden region over the past three months signal severe and escalating maritime security disruptions affecting shipping routes in the area.