ISWAN, the International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network, is a renowned international maritime charity committed to enhancing the lives of seafarers and their families through a wide range of services, resources, strategies, and advocacy. Recognizing the significant contributions of seafarers who provide us with 90% of our daily necessities and ensure our safe sea travels, ISWAN strives to address the unique challenges they face. These challenges include long periods of separation from loved ones, limited communication, strict port regulations, understaffing, and increased workloads.

ISWAN operates SeafarerHelp, a free and confidential multilingual helpline available 24/7, and the Yacht Crew Help helpline for professional yacht crew. Additionally, ISWAN offers humanitarian support in India and the Philippines, administers relief funds for seafarers in crisis, and provides free health resources such as mental health guides, healthy eating advice, and fitness tips through their website and app. Furthermore, ISWAN is dedicated to advocating for better health and well-being within the maritime industry.

They provide maritime mental health awareness training, deliver tailored crew support helplines, and drive industry-wide change based on insights gained from their helpline data. In 2022 alone, ISWAN assisted over 13,600 seafarers and their families from 94 different nationalities worldwide. The relief funds administered by ISWAN provided over US $450,000 in financial aid to those in need.

ISWAN's work is made possible through grants, membership subscriptions, sponsorship, and earned income. Key funders include the ITF Seafarers' Trust, The Seafarers' Charity, The TK Foundation, and the Trafigura Foundation. ISWAN's accounts for the year ended 31 March 2021 can be accessed on their website.

As we rely on seafarers for countless aspects of our lives, ISWAN remains dedicated to their welfare, and their impact continues to shape and improve the maritime industry