A statement issued by the Ministries of Transport, Industry and Trade in the Salvation Government, and the Chambers of Commerce and Navigation regarding the exposure of the Panamanian container ship TSS PEARL to a fire and sinking off the port of Jizan

The Ministries of Transport, Industry and Trade, of the Government of National Salvation, and the Chambers of Commerce and Navigation are following up on the tragic accident of the container ship TSS PEARL, which was flying the Panama flag, after leaving the Saudi port of Jeddah at exactly two o’clock in the morning on the fifth of October 2022 AD, in which a large fire broke out that lasted nine Days off Jizan port in Saudi regional waters, which was carrying more than 28 thousand tons of goods and various food and pharmaceutical commodities in hundreds of containers belonging to Yemeni traders, which were on their way to the port of Aden on the fifth of last October 2022 AD.

The Republic of Yemen denounces the willful negligence by the collation aggression authorities by all available means, as it did not fulfill its international obligations as a coastal country that the accident happened in its sovereign and making an investigation the time of the accident and starting in saving especially that the ship has equipment for recording the audio data and trip data in the driving room .
The deliberate negligence and indifference of the collation of aggression authorities, represented in not rushing to rescue the ship, which has a tonnage of 1,853 TEU, violated all maritime norms, laws and international agreements.

In this statement, we stress the necessity of:
– Follow-up on the safety of the ship through the official channels designated for this, and obligate the concerned authorities to quickly compensate those affected.
-Demanding the United Nations to put an end to the arrogance of the Saudi enemy represented in maritime piracy on commercial ships and the non-compliance with the UNVIM inspection mechanism on ships despite their violation of international norms and charters, and transferring them to the port of Hodeidah as stipulated in the Sweden Agreement.

-Lifting the siege on all Yemeni ports, especially the port of Hodeidah, and all commercial ships without exception, especially container ships, as the port of Hodeidah represents the main and safest artery for most of the population and governorates of the Republic.
-We also demand that international shipping lines enter directly into Yemeni ports without converting them into mediator ships and lines, which has doubled the costs of transporting containers to Yemeni ports six times compared to the costs of transporting them to ports in neighboring countries.
– We affirm that the Republic of Yemen is a member and signatory of the International Maritime Organization and is committed to all international charters, decisions and laws related to the maritime field, maritime trade and securing international navigation routes in a manner that does not conflict with the security, safety and sovereignty of the Republic of Yemen.
A statement issued by the Ministries of Transport, Industry and Trade, of the National Salvation Government, and the Chambers of Commerce and Navigation
On Tuesday, the 7th of Rabi’ al-Akhir 1444 AH
Corresponding to November 1, 2022 AD