MAPPING RED SEA ATTACKS : A NEW PERSPECTIVE FOR SHIPPING

A missile attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels hit an Antigua- and Barbuda-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden, the latest assault on shipping in the region.

Within a week, atleast 3 ships either been hit or was targeted. 

The missile hit the ship's forward station late Saturday, starting a fire that those on board later put out, the private security firm Ambrey said. A second missile fired at the ship missed and people "on board small boats in the vicinity opened fire on the ship during the incident," Ambrey added, though no one was hurt onboard.

The British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center similarly reported the attack and fire in the same area off Aden, saying "damage control is underway."

A sailor was severely wounded after a cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden was hit by two cruise missiles fired by Yemen's Houthi rebels on Thursday.

The MV Verbena, a Palauan-flagged, Ukrainian-owned, Polish-operated cargo ship reported that it had been damaged, with the crew fighting fires on board.

The vessel was en route to Italy.

The attack on the MV Verbena comes after the Houthis crashed a bomb-laden boat into a commercial ship in the Red Sea on Wednesday.

The Houthis, who seized Yemen’s capital about a decade ago, have been attacking commercial shipping throughout the Red Sea. They say the attacks are aimed at stopping Israel's war in Gaza and supporting Palestinians, although they strike vessels that have nothing to do with the conflict.

Meanwhile, the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency reported an explosion close to a merchant vessel in the Red Sea, about 80 nautical miles north-west of Yemen's rebel-held Hodeida port, but said there was no damage or casualties.

The Houthis have launched more than 50 attacks on shipping that have killed three sailors. They have also seized one vessel and sunk another since November, according to the US Maritime Administration.

SHIPPING COSTS TO RISE DUE TO RED SEA RE-ROUTING

The cost of international shipping has shot up as businesses prepare to ship goods for the festive season far earlier than usual, in a sign of the far-reaching effects of disruption from attacks in the Red Sea.

Kenya Ships Agents Association (KSAA) on Wednesday said importers should expect higher charges from this week as stakeholders assess the increasing insecurity from Yemen Houthis’ claim of fresh Red Sea attacks on British and American ships.

The average cost of shipping a 40ft container between the Far East and northern Europe at short notice, the figure that is most sensitive to market prices, hit $4,343 last week, roughly three times higher than the same period last year, according to freight market tracker Xeneta.

Prices have not yet surpassed the peak seen immediately after Yemen’s Houthi militant group began targeting vessels in November. But they are rebounding during a usually quiet period for shipping in the spring months.

Typically the peak period occurs between late summer and autumn, when retailers start importing goods for the November Black Friday sales and Christmas shopping season.

“The peak season has been brought forward,” said Michael Aldwell, head of sea logistics at Kuehne + Nagel, one of the large freight forwarders that handles goods and sets the price of shipping for retailers.

“Despite efforts to normalise freight rates following events such as the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine War, the ongoing attacks by Houthi Rebels present a persistent challenge.”

"Major shipping lines, including those represented by KSAA, are responding by rerouting vessels around the Cape of Good Hope, a costly alternative that directly impacts the business community and consumers in East Africa,” Says KSAA Chief Executive Officer Juma Ali Tellah

The Red Sea has remained a biggest worry by shippers resulting to the rerouting of vessels to take a longest route via Southern of Africa while some vessels are attempting to mask their positions by pinging on other locations, as a safety precaution when entering the Yemen Coastline.