Report: Ship Captains Email Houthis for Red Sea Clearance
Ship captains heading through the Red Sea are emailing Yemen’s Houthi movement for permission to pass safely, according to a Marine Insight report published on 7 November. The requests go to the Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center (HOOC), a body the Houthis set up in 2024. The route in question covers the Red Sea, the Bab el-Mandeb strait between Yemen and the Horn of Africa, and the Gulf of Aden, one of the world’s busiest shipping corridors between Asia and Europe.
Until recently, ships with no links to the United States, the United Kingdom or Israel generally did not contact the HOOC. But since the Houthis declared a ban this year on traffic to and from Saudi Arabian ports, some shipping companies have started telling their masters to seek clearance in advance. Captains and crew say replies usually arrive within 24 hours.
The report cites an email from the master of a Chinese container ship. He stated that the vessel’s owners, managers and crew were all Chinese, that the ship had no US, UK or Israeli links, and that it would respect the Houthi ban and the collision regulations (COLREGs). The HOOC then cleared the ship for the Red Sea, Bab el-Mandeb, Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea.
From the CrewMirror Blog
The directives reportedly include keeping AIS and VHF Channel 16 on at all times, staying within international shipping lanes, keeping clear of military vessels and ships with AIS switched off, reporting suspicious activity nearby and informing the HOOC of any change of destination.
According to the report, international maritime organisations consider the scheme illegal and advise ships not to seek Houthi permission. The United States has designated the Houthis a terrorist organisation and placed sanctions on the group.
CrewMirror Takeaway
Masters and crews on ships planning a Red Sea transit should rely on their company’s ship security plan and official naval and flag-state guidance rather than informal arrangements, and keep all agreed security measures in place throughout the passage.
