NEW DELHI, 30 January 2022, (TON): The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said “the seven Indian sailors on board a United Arab Emirates-flagged cargo vessel that was seized by the Houthis off the port of Hodeidah in Yemen are in good health and the government is in touch with multiple sources to reinforce its message to the Houthis that they be released at the earliest.”

Responding to a question at an online media briefing, MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that as per the information received from the shipping company based in the UAE as well as from other sources, the seven Indian sailors are safe, in good health and are being provided regular meals.

However, their captors have not allowed them to communicate with their families, he said.

Bagchi said “the government of India is in touch with multiple sources, including the UN mission to support the Hodeidah Agreement, to enquire about the safety and well-being of the sailors as well as to reinforce its message to the Houthis that they be released at the earliest.”