Global shipping company announces diversion of its vessels to Cape of Good Hope

Global shipping

company announces diversion of

its vessels to Cape of Good Hope

A spokesman for the German company Habag Lloyd announced that

 the company will continue to divert its vessels away from

 the Suez Canal and around Cape of Good Hope in South Africa

 for security reasons.

The spokesman 

for the world's fifth largest container company said: 

"We are monitoring the situation closely day by day

but will continue to reorient our vessels until 9 January."

He stated that "the company will decide on that day whether 

or not to continue to reorient ships", referring to the outcome of

 the meeting of its crisis committee.

Ansar Allah's Houthi movement

which controls most of Yemen's Red Sea coast, has previously warned that it

will attack vessels associated with Israel or bound for its ports

and has called on other States to withdraw their crews 

from these vessels and not approach them at sea.

One of the "Habag Lloyd" vessels was attacked near Yemen on 15 December

and one of Maersk's vessels was attacked over the weekend on one of

 its ships in the area, after which it decided to temporarily stop sailing in

the Red Sea for 48 hours.

In response to the growing attacks by the Houthis

the United States launched Operation "Boom Guard"

and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said that more than 20 countries

 had agreed to participate in an effort that would include joint patrols in

Red Sea waters near Yemen.

US Central Command:

 Houthis launch two anti-ship missiles towards Red Sea

"A number of merchant vessels in the area reported the impact of

the attack on the waters around the Red Sea, although no damage was reported."

It stressed that "illegal actions by the Houthis endanger

the lives of dozens of innocent sailors and continue to disrupt

 the free flow of international trade".

This is the 24 attacks against merchant vessels in

 the southern Red Sea since November 19.

The Ansar Allah Houthi group had previously announced its intention to

 attack vessels associated with Israel or bound for its ports and called on

 other States to call their crews and not approach them at sea.

For its part, the United States announced that

in response to the growing attacks by the Houthis, it had, together 

with other countries, launched Operation Boom Guard Alliance

to protect navigation in the Red Sea.