Aid agencies were driving force behind sailors’ release and families’ survival

While the men return home to Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, India and Iran, their release last week highlighted the little-known efforts of a small band of committed aid workers who relentlessly mediated with pirate gangs.

DUBAI // The 11 hostages will be homeward bound on Wednesday, almost four years after saying goodbye to their families while leaving Jebel Ali Port on a merchant boat sailing for Kenya.

Somali pirates hijacked the MV Albedo cargo vessel in November 2010 in the Gulf of Aden.

After years of deprivation and misery, the men were freed on Saturday and taken by UN officials to Nairobi.

“This is the longest hostages have ever been held by Somali pirates and it has been a traumatic process all around for the families and for the men,” said John Steed, a retired British colonel.

Mr Steed works with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime’s hostage relief programme and was instrumental in negotiating with the pirates.

“They have been severely beaten by pirates trying to get a ransom amount but with time their wounds have healed, and while they have minor ailments they are in good condition considering they have been hostages for nearly four years,” he said.

The men had medical check-ups and secured travel documents with the help of aid workers from the Maritime Piracy Humanitarian Response Programme and UNODC.

While they return home to Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, India and Iran, their release last week highlighted the little-known efforts of a small band of committed aid workers who relentlessly mediated with pirate gangs.

MPHRP staff visited families in their home countries and counselled them, especially after they received threatening phone calls from pirates.

The charity contributed financially to help cover school and college fees, medical costs and paid overdue rent amounts, as in most cases the hostage was the family’s sole breadwinner.

“After 1,288 days in captivity, we are delighted for their families,” said Peter Swift, MPHRP chairman.

“As a programme we don’t have much money but across the maritime community, some owners and insurers have made donations that have proved enough. We appreciate the generosity of donors that have allowed this release to happen.”

The aid officials have addressed anti-piracy conferences hosted by the UAE Government over the past few years and tried to raise awareness of the plight of hostages.

The aid groups also convinced the raiders to allow medical check-ups of the hostages, who have been onshore in Somalia since their vessel sank in July last year.

Mr Swift said it was imperative to remember those who had been lost.

“While 11 families are overwhelmed and grateful, we are sad for the others and our thoughts are with the five families that don’t have people returning home, and we will continue to provide counselling to them.”