Indian Embassy Evacuates 19 Seafarers Stranded in Yemen
The Embassy of India to Yemen has evacuated 19 Indian seafarers who had been stranded for about two weeks in Hodeidah and Sana’a in Yemen. Hodeidah is Yemen’s main port on the Red Sea coast, while Sana’a, the capital, lies inland in the country’s western highlands. Both cities are under the control of the Houthi movement.
The embassy shared the news in a post on X on 8 November 2026, saying all the seafarers “are safe, in good health, and on their way back to India.” It thanked everyone involved and tagged India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). The embassy did not name the ships the seafarers had served on or explain why they had been stranded.
From the CrewMirror Blog
The evacuation comes at a difficult time for Indian crews in the region. Earlier this month, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India had lost 23 nationals in the ongoing West Asia conflict, including 15 Indian seafarers. Attacks on merchant ships around the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden have continued, and the Houthis have recently stepped up threats against shipping linked to Saudi Arabia.
The safe return of the 19 seafarers shows the role Indian missions abroad continue to play in protecting Indian crews caught up in conflict zones. India is one of the world’s largest suppliers of seafarers, and many Indian nationals serve on ships trading in and around the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf.
CrewMirror Takeaway
Indian seafarers serving on ships calling at Yemeni or other conflict-zone ports should keep their details registered with the nearest Indian mission and their manning agent, so that help can reach them quickly if they become stranded.
