Vatican City, Jul 7, 2021 / 13:00 pm
In a message for Sea Sunday, a Vatican cardinal appealed to the international community to ensure that those who work at sea are treated with full human dignity.
Cardinal Peter Turkson, the prefect of the Dicastery for the Promotion of Integral Human Development, said that since September 2020, an estimated 400,000 seafarers have been stranded at sea because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He also said that the coronavirus had worsened working and living conditions for thousands who have been forced to work for months longer than usual while separated for long periods from their families.
“We appeal to ship owners, management companies, agents, and recruiters to regard crew members as more than ‘labor force’ and remember that they are human beings,” he said.