Yemen’s Houthi rebel faction has announced the impending release of nine Filipino maritime crew members who survived the sinking of their commercial vessel in the Red Sea last July. The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed on Tuesday that the seafarers would be transferred from the Houthi-controlled Yemeni capital of Sanaa to Oman before ultimately returning to their home country.
The crew members were aboard the Liberian-flagged cargo ship M/V Eternity C when it was attacked and sunk by Houthi forces in July, breaking a months-long hiatus in the group’s maritime operations. The Iran-backed militants previously released footage claiming to have ‘rescued’ crew members following the attack.
Philippine authorities acknowledged Oman’s diplomatic mediation in facilitating the release but declined to specify any conditions attached to the transfer or provide a precise timeline for the sailors’ repatriation. The July incident, which also involved the sinking of another vessel named Magic Seas, marked a significant escalation in maritime security concerns in the critical waterway.
The Houthis have conducted numerous attacks on commercial shipping since October 2023, asserting these actions target Israel-linked vessels in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. These disruptions have forced many shipping companies to avoid the route that typically facilitates approximately 12% of global trade.
The Philippines remains particularly affected by such incidents as Filipino nationals constitute nearly 30% of the global commercial shipping workforce. Their remittances, totaling nearly $7 billion in 2023, represent approximately one-fifth of the nation’s total remittance income.