Seafarers Trapped in Gulf: Mental Toll Mounts

0:00On April 9th, 20,000 seafarers are trapped in the Gulf, stuck on oil tankers for six weeks now because of Iran's grip on the straight-up. Hormuz, these workers can move, anchored off the United Arab Emirates coast amid loaded ships, watching drones, missiles, and even a Kuwaiti tanker go up in. Flames just miles away. Even with a shaky Middle East ceasefire in place, the danger hasn't let up missiles streak the sky right after it started, and crews say they won't. Risks crossing the straight no matter what orders come down. The mental toll is hitting hard, with workers calling support hotlines for the first time, fighting back tears and feeling like sitting ducks. Experts from seafarer unions point out the endless uncertainty is breaking people down, and remote advice just can't fix being stuck in the hot zone. Now there's pushback for ship owners to swap out exhausted crews with relief workers, like Ukrainians far from home, who might take double pay for the hazard. Companies can't force anyone into danger zones, so they're scouting desperate folks needing

1:03the cash or promotions. Captains are listening to their teams, shutting down pleas to sail on, and these seafarers hope fresh faces arrive soon at safe anchorages, some are. Even Wang, if they'll ever return to see after this nightmare.