: Stuck ‘Ever Given’ thrusts sleepy Suez Canal village into limelight #IndiaNEWS #International Amer: The sleepy farming village of Amer overlooks the Suez Canal, one of the world’s most important

Stuck ‘Ever Given’ thrusts sleepy Suez Canal village into limelight #IndiaNEWS #International
Amer: The sleepy farming village of Amer overlooks the Suez Canal, one of the world’s most important waterways. Last week, the village was suddenly thrust into the limelight. It happened after a massive container ship, the ‘Ever Given’, got stuck in the Suez Canal.
The contrast between tranquil village life and the busy artery of global shipping is stark. Farmers in this village eke out a living tending to small fields and livestock. However, before them pass behemoths of world trade – vessels carrying millions of dollars’ worth of cargo.
But the canal is also a source of intense pride for residents of the area, including the nearby town of Suez. They call it ‘our canal’ and the older ones still remember then-President Gamal Abdel Nasser’s decision in 1956 to nationalise the canal despite fierce pressure from Western powers.
“I was five or six years old, celebrations were everywhere,??? said Abdel-Wahab, 71, who works as a waiter in Suez. “It was like you freed your son who was taken against your will,??? he added.
The village, along with other areas along the western bank of the canal, was abandoned during the 1967 Mideast war. Its residents were only allowed to return in the 1970s.
They are now rooting for canal authorities as they battle to dislodge the vessel.
Also read: Suez Canal crisis: Ship ‘partially refloated’ but still stuck
It was a windy morning when the Ever Given got wedged sideways in a single-lane stretch of the canal last Tuesday.
Amer resident Fatima was feeding poultry on the roof of her three-story home when she saw the massive ship sitting motionless in the canal. At first, she didn’t think it was unusual.
“Sometimes, one vessel stops for a reason or another,??? the elderly woman said Monday. Dressed in a dark blue jalabiya, or traditional loose-fitting garment, she was sitting at the gate of her house with a neighbour. The women were chatting and drinking tea.
Like other villagers, they did not want to give their full names for fear of getting in trouble with the authorities. They have restricted media access to the area.
Almost a week after the accident, tug boats and dredgers, taking advantage Monday of high tides, partially floated the Ever Given. However, it remains unclear how long it would take to set it free.
The pointed bow of the Panama-flagged, Japanese-owned vessel remains stuck on sandy clay along the canal bank. The giant ship carries some 20,000 containers. Taking them off would likely add even more days to the canal’s closure, further disrupting a global shipping network. A prolonged closure would cause delays in the global shipment chain.

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