Philippine welcomes UN call to protect seafarers in HormuzThe Strait of Hormuz as seen in this 2026 satellite imagery from NASA via Google Maps. MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines welcomed the call by United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, for urgent action to protect thousands of seafarers facing a grave humanitarian and human rights crisis around the Strait of Hormuz. The statement issued by the UN rights chief reported that at least 6,000 seafarers aboard some 400 vessels remain stranded in the area, with many others unaccounted for. The statement also reported that 17 seafarers have been killed since the conflict began. “The protection and safe repatriation of stranded seafarers is both a human rights obligation and a humanitarian imperative,” Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the UN, Carlos Sorreta, said.