India, March 22 -- The Directorate General of Shipping (DG Shipping) has flagged a growing humanitarian concern, warning that essential supplies on several ships stranded in the Persian Gulf are running critically low, amid escalating tensions that have disrupted commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

The narrow waterway handles nearly a fifth of global oil trade, and the ongoing conflict has severely curtailed vessel movement, leaving hundreds of ships unable to transit the crucial chokepoint.

According to sources, drinking water is among the supplies nearing depletion on some vessels. DG Shipping has directed shipowners and managers to urgently replenish stocks, while seafarers' unions have urged the central government to in...