Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels have since November attacked ships in the Red Sea, part of a route that accounts for about 12% of the world’s shipping traffic, in what they say is an effort to support Palestinians in the war with Israel.

Due to Colombo’s strategic location, stopping at the port gives ships convenient access to the Middle East, South Asia and East Asia, said Lal Weerasinghe, a senior official at the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA).

Port of Colombo is a key port between Africa, the Middle East and East Asia and handled 6.94 million 20-foot equivalent unit (TEU) in 2023, a 2% jump for the year, SLPA data showed. In December, TEUs jumped 15% on year.