The United Nations International Maritime Organization estimates 20,000 seafarers are directly exposed to the dangers related to the war in the Middle East.

The identified risks include missiles, falling debris, shortages of food and water on board, as well as the possibility of medical emergencies and technical malfunctions.

The UN maritime agency is working with the shipping industry on contingency planning, including a safe evacuation framework for vessels and crews in the conflict zone.

The removal could involve about 800 ships—with an average of 25 crew members per vessel—engaged in international trade, carrying vital energy supplies and commodities.

In a statement on Monday, the IMO noted that all the people on board ships in the Persian Gulf area “are vulnerable to any re-escalation of the conflict.”

Despite some crew changes and repatriations, impacting around 450 seafarers, tens of thousands remain at sea, as the broader fleet in the region could be up to 3,000 vessels.

The IMO, however, advised ships to exercise maximum caution amid the latest situation in the Strait of Hormuz between Iran and the United States.

The agency added that naval escorts alone are not a sustainable solution, urging de-escalation and a long-term agreement to ensure seafarers’ well-being and safe navigation.

Since the war started in late February, dozens of incidents affecting ships operating in and around the Arabian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, and the Hormuz Strait have been reported.