The second counter piracy conference in Dubai has once again brought into focus the plight of seafarers held hostage by the Somali pirates in the Gulf of Eden and off the coast of Oman. In all 190 hostages are still held by the Somali pirates; 43 of them are Indian seafarers from six hijacked ships. 

These include 36 Indians on board on four ships hijacked by the Somali pirates. Among the ships is MV Iceberg, the longest held vessel which was hijacked off the port of Aden on its way to Jabel Ali port in UAE on 29th March 2010. It has six Indian sailors on board. Seven more Indian hostages are from the hijacked ship, Asphalt Venturer. 

This ship has been released but the seven Indian seafarers are still held hostage ashore. Meanwhile, the UAE has contributed 1 million US dollars to help build the capabilities of the Somali naval forces to fight rampant piracy off their coasts. The Arab country has also called for greater international support to upgrade Somalia's national response capabilities. 

UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, told a conference on counter-piracy that the threat of pirates emanating from the Somali coasts had escalated, as more seafarers were held captive for long time, facing violence and increasing inhuman conditions.