An evangelical Middle East chaplain is playing a key role in resolving a long-running dispute which has left five sailors stuck on an abandoned tanker for years.
Andy Bowerman, Regional Director for the Mission to Seafarers, has been visiting the stranded crew of the Panama-flagged MT Iba since May 2019 to ensure they have adequate food, water and fuel – as well as responding to their requests for spiritual support and to questions about what motivates him to help them.
The Iba is currently grounded of the coast of Umm Al Quwain, in the United Arab Emirates. It was abandoned by the vessel’s owner, and the seafarers’ wages have not been paid for two and a half years. If the crew leave before the money they are owed is paid, they will lose their right to claim it. They might also face difficulty going ashore because of UAE immigration rules.
