They’ve been stuck for months on cargo ships now floating off Southern California. They’re desperate
LA TimesAbrorizki Geraldy Aulia, the son of a ship’s captain, is part of the new generation that moves more than 80% of the world’s raw materials, parts and merchandise on commercial cargo fleets. Some 300,000 of these migrant merchant sailors have been stranded on vessels at sea or in ports around the world, according to the International Transport Workers’ Federation, a London-based trade union that is among the maritime agencies lobbying governments to address what’s been labeled the “crew-change crisis.” They endure unbroken monotony and growing desperation. “There are many concerns about their emotional well being,” added Samson Chauhan, a member of the Lutheran Maritime Ministry who travels from ship to ship at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to provide religious and spiritual support. In August, a cargo ship called the Global Striker arrived at San Francisco’s port and notified the Coast Guard that crew members were sick. It’s a long voyage and we worry about the pandemic every day.” Shipmate Reggie Teano Buendia acknowledged that he had watched the romantic Filipino soap drama “Dolce Amor” in its entirety.
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