Maritime charity Stella Maris has launched a new operation in East Africa to support seafarers facing longer time at sea owing to Houthi attacks in the Red Sea.

Drone and missile strikes by the Yemen rebel group have forced hundreds of ships to sail via the Cape of Good Hope, increasing journey times and putting extra pressure on ports and services in Africa.

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The new mission will provide additional support to seafarers in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, with a team of volunteers led by Kenyan chaplain Father Patrick Musumbu.

Jonathan Heard of Stella Maris said: “Our new mission opens at a time when seafarers need additional support with the rising numbers of vessels diverting here to avoid the Red Sea.

“Not only does this mean more crews passing through the region; it also means that seafarers face being at sea significantly longer — sometimes months longer — than they anticipated.”

The new team will help seafarers to contact their families, health and other welfare issues, including pastoral care for crews facing bereavement after a death on board.

“When seafarers spend very long periods of time at sea without adequate stops to rest and recuperate and without seeing anyone from outside their immediate crew, they are more likely to experience mental and physical health problems, and feelings of isolation and loneliness,” said Heard.

Houthi attacks on dozens of commercial ships since November last year have killed four seafarers and left another seriously injured.

The International Transport Workers’ Federation has called on flag states and shipowners to ensure crews are not put at risk in the Red Sea and divert their vessels.

Shipping passing through the Bab el-Mandeb strait is about one-third of the level from a year ago because of the attacks, according to IMF Portwatch data.

Stella Maris, the maritime charity of the Catholic church, operates at 353 ports in 57 countries.

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