The department has just sent an official document to businesses to ensure the safety of Vietnamese workers on transport ships passing through the Middle East - Africa region.

According to the department, tensions in the Middle East have recently increased, especially in waters near the Red Sea. Among them, there were incidents that have affected the health and lives of Vietnamese sailors.

Yemen’s Houthi forces announced that in the near future they will attack cargo ships passing through the Indian Ocean in South Asia region to the Cape of Good Hope of Africa. Therefore, the situation of maritime security and safety is threatened not only in the Middle East, but spreading to South Asia and Africa, said the department.

To ensure security and safety for Vietnamese workers on international transport ships, the department required businesses to urgently work with their partners and ship owners who have Vietnamese workers on the risk of loss of security and safety, and disseminate the situation so workers can reconsider about working on transport ships passing through these maritime routes.

In particular, the department requested the businesses to stay away from maritime routes near the Middle East - Africa region at the present time, or temporarily stop until the security and safety is guaranteed, as well as regularly monitoring the situation of Vietnamese workers working abroad on transport ships.

Previously, one Vietnamese was among three people killed in missile attacks by Yemen's Houthi forces on the Barbados-flagged bulk carrier True Confidence in the Gulf of Aden on March 6.

The ship's crew of 20 members included 15 Filipinos, four Vietnamese and one Indian. VNS