MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
Roughly 2,000 vessels remain trapped in the Persian Gulf as talks between the U.S. and Iran have stalled. After a brief opening of the Strait of Hormuz following an initial ceasefire deal, the crucial waterway remains practically closed as the U.S. and Iran enforce dueling blockades. And that means an estimated 20,000 seafarers are also trapped on those ships. That, according to data from the International Maritime Organization. We wanted to know how they're doing, so we've called the International Transport Workers Federation. That's a union that represents more than 16 million transportation workers. We have its maritime coordinator, Jacqueline Smith, on the line with us. Good morning, Jacqueline Smith. Thanks so much for joining us once again.
JACQUELINE SMITH: Good morning, Michel. Thanks for having me.
MARTIN: So we last talked in mid-March, and that's where you first raised concerns for the well-being of these workers who are essentially stranded on those ships. Has the situation changed at all since then?
SMITH: Well, there's been a few ships that have been able to come out, but the majority, of course, have stayed in. So it hasn't really changed. Luckily, for the ones that are covered by ITF agreements, they are getting water provisions and able to contact, periodically, their families. But we know that there's a lot of vessels in the area that are not covered by agreements, and we have been receiving not as much as in the beginning, but quite a few requests for help.
MARTIN: So to that end, do we have any sense of how many are able to have what they need just to sustain themselves?
SMITH: I believe that probably over half. But when we receive inquiries for help from the seafarers, one, of course, it's uncertainty, and they feel they're scared. But then the second-largest one is about running low on food supplies and water supplies and fuel supplies. So at least half of those that are uncovered haven't been in contact with us. But it is really difficult because what we get in is just a small amount of inquiries because a lot of the seafarers contact our inspectors and then unions directly.
MARTIN: Can these ships leave entirely if the situation becomes intolerable? Is there a way out?
SMITH: I don't think they're going to take the chance unless they're given guarantees that they're not going to be targeted. I mean, the complication is that you can't leave ships unmanned. Even if they had been in port, there would have to be a minimum manning level. You can't just leave the ships like you park your car in a garage, and then you can leave it.
MARTIN: So what word would you use to describe the situation?
SMITH: I think it's desperate. I think it's unbelievable that this is happening. You know, we had COVID, where seafarers were stuck months on board because they weren't allowed to go ashore in case they were contagious, which was unbelievable. And now they're stuck in this situation where they're in a limbo - purgatory, I would say.
MARTIN: And before we let you go, what should people know about this work who have no familiarity with it?
SMITH: They deliver 90% of everything that we use on a day-to-day basis. And I think people need to sometimes stop and think - oh, how do I get my iPhone? Oh, it came by a ship. Oh, how did I get my vacuum cleaner? It came by a ship. How did I get my clothes? It came by a ship. And these seafarers - it's a 24/7 industry, and I think that they deserve better than to be caught up as casualties in something they have nothing to do with.
MARTIN: Jacqueline Smith is the maritime coordinator of the International Transport Workers Federation. Jacqueline Smith, thanks so much for talking with us once again and bringing us up to date.
SMITH: Thank you, Michel.
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