London, July 6 -- The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has called for urgent international efforts to secure the release of 44 seafarers being held captive by pirates and armed robbers in Somali waters, amid a sharp rise in attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden region.
IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said the seafarers have been held for months aboard three hijacked vessels- MT Honour 25, Eureka and Sward- after separate incidents between April and May off Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden.
He said the crews are facing a severe humanitarian situation, with critically low food and water supplies and continued exposure to threats of violence.
"These incidents are a stark reminder that the threat posed by piracy and armed r...