UNSW expert available: Disease, evacuations and human rights at sea

UNSW Sydney

Professor Natalie Klein is available for comment on the recent hantavirus outbreak aboard the cruise vessel MV Hondius, and the broader legal and human rights challenges arising from disease outbreaks at sea. 

The outbreak, which resulted in multiple deaths and complex, multi-country evacuations, has reignited concerns about how international law governs public health emergencies on cruise ships. 

Professor Klein can speak to: 

• The responsibilities of port and flag states under the law of the sea 

• Ship access to ports during health crises and the limits of state sovereignty 

• Human rights obligations at sea, including access to medical care and treatment 

• Lessons from COVID-19 and why legal gaps persist for cruise ship emergencies 

• The role of international frameworks including UNCLOS and the International Health Regulations 

Quote: 
"What we are seeing with the Hondius mirrors the confusion and fragmentation we saw during COVID-19. States still default to protecting their own borders, but without clear rules, that often leaves passengers and crew in prolonged uncertainty at sea." 

Ashleigh Steele, 0421 308 805, [email protected]

Kelly Caulk, 0437 868 944, [email protected]