Over 100 container ships change course in the light of attacks in Red sea shipping channel

Over 100 Container ships were rerouted around Southern Africa to avoid the Suez Canal as Houthi rebels attacked vessels on the western coast of Yemen, disrupting global trade. According to The Guardian, a shipping company has identified 103 ships that had changed their routes, with more expected to go around South Africa's Cape of Good Hope.

The diversion has added about 6,000 nautical miles to the Asia to Europe journey, extending the delivery time by three to four weeks for products. The 192 km Suez Canal is the quickest sea route between Asia and Europe.

Around 19,000 ships pass through the Suez Canal annually, establishing it as one of the world's vital passages, especially for the transportation of fossil fuels and commodities between Asia and Europe. The ships that were diverted had the capacity to carry 1.3 million 20-foot (6-metre) containers. Additionally, oil and gas tanker routes have also been redirected, with BP being the largest company to publicly announce it had changed course