Pray for Seafarers
May the LORD give strength to his people! May the LORD bless his people with peace! – Psalm 29:11 The impact of the current war in Ukraine should not be underestimated in its impact on seafarers, their families and communities. The Ukranian seafarers do not know if their families are safe as communications have broken down. Many of the ships we visit often have mixed crews of Russian and Ukrainian seafarers. Typically, these crews do not experience tension or conflict, but with the war we are not sure of their safety. From one of the ships that calls frequently into Boston, i received this message on social media messaging from a Ukranian seafarer friend of mine: “Please ask your community to connect (with) their government representatives asking US to provide full support to (the people of) Ukraine.” I assured him we are praying for him and supporting peace and freedom for the Ukranian people. He replied “Thank you šš»Iām not sure if anybody is safe in Ukraine now ā¦“
Consider this recent article from Trade Wind Magazine:
Russia and the Ukraine are two of the largest labor supply countries to the international fleet. BIMCO and International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) study estimated there are 198,123 Russian seafarers of which 71,652 are officers and 126,471 are ratings. Ukraine supplies 76,442 seafarers of which 47,058 are officers and 29,383 are ratings. The two countries represent 14.5% of the global workforce. One manager told Tradewinds the war conditions will make it nearly impossible for seafarers from Ukraine to travel to ships. They also expect a large proportion of Ukrainian seafarers to be conscripted to the military.
From one of my colleagues in Seattle we can see the very hard and frightening reality of this:
Since Tuesday, here is what we’ve heard from a few of the Ukrainian seafarers who are at the Port:
1. One is offboarding after months at sea. As soon as he arrives home, he will be drafted into the military to protect his homeland.
2. Another seafarer just began his contract. His wife and young child are now trying to escape to a safer place elsewhere in Europe while he is away.
3. Another seafarer has very limited internet while in the middle of the Pacific. He is struggling to contact his family at home. He is worried for them and very concerned about what is happening at home.