Houthis Sink Red Sea Aid Ship, Kill Four and Detain Ten Crew in Unlawful Attack
Yemen’s Houthi rebels have escalated maritime violence in the Red Sea by sinking a merchant vessel carrying United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) supplies from Somaliland, killing at least four crew members and abducting ten others, maritime security sources and human rights organizations report.
The MV Eternity C, a Liberia-flagged bulk carrier operated by Greece-based Cosmo Ship Management, completed a humanitarian delivery at the Port of Berbera on July 6. While en route to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the vessel came under attack on July 7–8. Houthi forces deployed sea drones and launched rocket-propelled grenades, causing critical damage that left the ship adrift and ultimately led to its sinking near Houthi-controlled coastline.
Rescue teams retrieved ten survivors—nine Filipinos and one Russian electrician—who are now in Houthi custody. The Philippine Department of Migrant Workers confirmed their identities and is working with international partners to secure their release, emphasizing concerns over their safety and the legality of their detention. At least four crew members—three Filipinos and one Russian national—were killed in the assault, and several others remain missing or injured.
On July 28, Houthi media released a propaganda video showing detained sailors making coerced confessions. Human Rights Watch condemned the footage, calling the forced statements and the seizure of civilian aid workers “violations amounting to war crimes.” A Houthi military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, falsely accused the MV Eternity C of heading to Israel’s port of Eilat to load fertilizer, alleging justification under the group’s self-declared maritime blockade.
The incident follows a similar attack on the MV Magic Seas days earlier. Since November 2023, the Houthis have conducted over 100 strikes on commercial vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, citing solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. These attacks have disrupted global shipping, prompted U.S.-led retaliatory airstrikes, and forced many shipping companies to reroute around southern Africa.
International actors including the United States, the European Union’s naval force Operation Aspides, and Yemen’s government have all condemned the attack on the MV Eternity C. They demand the immediate and unconditional release of the detained crew, reiterating that targeting a ship carrying humanitarian aid is both unlawful and intolerable.
The WFP has not yet commented publicly on the loss of the vessel or its cargo, but humanitarian groups warn that continued attacks endanger critical relief deliveries to conflict-affected communities throughout East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.
Global shipping through the Red Sea, which once carried more than 12 percent of world trade, has sharply declined amid the surge in Houthi attacks. The East African reports that freight costs for regional exporters have tripled, and insurance premiums for vessels in the corridor have more than doubled. Perishable Somali exports from Berbera and Bossaso—particularly livestock and produce—face growing vulnerability.
As the MV Eternity C remains submerged and its crew held hostage, international pressure on the Houthis to free the sailors and cease attacks on civilian shipping continues to mount. The fate of critical aid deliveries now hangs in the balance, threatening the lives of millions dependent on humanitarian assistance.
