Daily tanker transits through the Suez Canal seem to have stabilised in April as Houthi attacks in the Red Sea have slowed down.

PHOTO: Two different shipping routes from Singapore to Rotterdam. The shorter one runs via the Suez Canal, the longer around the Cape of Good Hope. ENGINE

It has been 166 days since Yemen's Houthi rebel group began attacking commercial ships in the southern Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb Strait.

The number of Houthi attacks against commercial vessels in the Red Sea decreased considerably in April, with only six attacks reported in the region through the month. The frequency of attacks has reduced significantly from 2-3 attacks per week seen over the past few months. 

The slowdown in attacks seems to have eased interference in tanker transits passing through the Suez Canal.

An average of 11 tankers/day passed through the Suez Canal in April, according to the IMF's PortWatch data. This number is unchanged from March.

Most tankers have also avoided rerouting via the longer Cape of Good Hope route, as disruptions appear to be easing. An average of 18 tankers/day passed through the Cape of Good Hope in April, similar to March.

Israel and Hamas met in Cairo to discuss a ceasefire, Reuters reported. Earlier in March, Houthi militia leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi had threatened to expand the scope of Houthi attacks to include the Indian Ocean and Cape of Good Hope if the conflict escalated further.

By Konica Bhatt

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