ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Five Syrian sailors who had been stranded aboard an abandoned ship for six months off the coast of Saudi Arabia have been rescued following an international effort, Syrian state media reported on Friday, after the crew endured severe shortages of food and drinking water.
The incident comes amid a growing number of cases of seafarer abandonment worldwide, with Syrian nationals among the most affected.
The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported, citing the vessel’s captain, Walid Mohammad Abu Bakr, that the sailors had endured severe shortages of food and drinking water while stranded for six months off the southern Saudi port of Jizan in the Red Sea.
According to SANA, the Syrian embassy in Riyadh contacted the relevant Saudi authorities after receiving a distress call from the crew.
Abu Bakr said the vessel’s age and deteriorating condition had initially prompted Jizan port authorities to deny it entry. He explained that the ship’s hull and ballast tanks had developed holes, causing water to leak into the vessel and compromising its safety.
The captain further stated that the ship belonged to a Yemeni businessman who had purchased it just six months earlier but subsequently disappeared, abandoning his financial and operational obligations.
Despite the difficult conditions, Abu Bakr told SANA that he had managed to write his first book, Healing Begins with Returning to God, inspired by his experience while stranded at sea.
The Syrian Seafarers' Union also reported the incident on Facebook, acknowledging assistance from the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the International Labour Organization (ILO), and the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF), which helped provide essential supplies to the stranded crew.
The incident highlights the growing problem of seafarer abandonment worldwide, often linked to shipowners failing to meet their financial obligations, opaque ownership structures, and vessels registered in countries with weak maritime oversight.
According to a United Nations report, 423 Syrian seafarers were abandoned aboard vessels in 2024, making Syrians the second-most affected nationality after Indians, who accounted for 916 cases.
At the time of reporting, 53 cases involving Syrian nationals stranded aboard abandoned vessels worldwide remained unresolved or disputed according to the IMO/ILO joint database.
