How the Covid-19 crisis in India affects global shipping

Sheikh Karim, a sailor from the Indian state of Odisha, spends hours on the phone every day, looking for jobs abroad for which he cannot apply. Along with the Philippines and China, India is one of the largest crew suppliers for the global shipping industry. But the huge increase in Covid-19 infections in the country and the shortage of vaccines have left ship workers like Karim in a tough spot.

Global ports are now closing the doors for Indian crews and ships. Companies demand the vaccine of workers and sailors, bringing bad news to an already overloaded maritime sector.

Karim is a lubricator, maintaining and repairing engines and ship machines. He says he repeatedly consults a government website to get a Covid-19 vaccine in his hometown, Balasore. But no luck so far.

“I don’t know when I’m going to get the first dose of the vaccine. It’s frustrating because I see jobs advertised on cargo ships and oil tankers that pay in dollars,” the 27-year-old told DW, adding that he desperately needs the income. “The cost of living is rising, and there are additional health care and hospital expenses for my family and relatives with Covid-19.”

Instead, Karim now works as a mechanic in an auto repair shop, earning only a fraction of the $ 1,500 to $ 1,800 he would normally earn per month working on a foreign ship.

His situation is the same as thousands of other maritime workers across India who cannot leave the country. On the other hand, the maritime authorities also advised the Indian crews currently at sea to “refuse to disembark from the ship” until the situation improves.

Source: DW

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