Tracking ships in the Red Sea

SINCE OPENING in 1869 the Suez Canal has transformed trade between Asia, Europe and the Middle East. Last year around 24,000 vessels took the passage linking the Mediterranean and Red Seas, carrying 10% of the world’s seaborne trade by volume. But this critical waterway is under threat. The Houthis, a militant group based in Yemen, have fired dozens of drones and missiles at ships in the Red Sea, ostensibly in support of the Palestinians in Gaza. Their attacks have widened the scope of the conflict in the Middle East and threaten global trade.

Using data from MarineTraffic, which tracks and analyses ship movements, The Economist is able to visualise the disruption (see maps 1 and 2).