The UN chief of environment said on Wednesday that “time is running out” to avoid an environmental, economic and humanitarian catastrophe of a deteriorating oil tanker loaded with 1.1 million barrels of crude oil that is moored on the coast of Yemen. Inger Andersen told the UN Security Council that an FSO Safer oil spill, which has not been in place for more than five years, would destroy ecosystems and livelihoods for decades.
“Preventing such a crisis from precipitating is really the only option,” he said. “Despite the difficult operational context, no effort should be spared to first carry out a technical evaluation and initial light repairs.”
BROCHURE / Reuters
Andersen urged the international community to develop a response plan in the event of an oil spill. The tanker could release four times as much oil as the notorious Exxon Valdez disaster, off Alaska in 1989, he said.
“We are running out of time to act in a coordinated manner to avoid an upcoming environmental, economic and humanitarian catastrophe,” said Anderson.
The Houthi rebels, who control the area where the ship is moored, have denied UN inspectors access to the ship in order to assess the damage and look for ways to secure the ship by unloading the oil and taking the ship to a safe place. But the rebels recently signaled they would approve a UN mission to the ship, according to the UN.
Internal documents obtained by The Associated Press last month show that seawater has entered the tank truck’s engine compartment, causing damage to the pipes and increasing the risk of sinking. The rust has covered parts of the tank truck and the inert gas has leaked, preventing the tanks from accumulating flammable gases. Experts say maintenance is no longer possible because damage to the ship is irreversible, according to an AP report from June 26.
Brochure / Holm Akhdar
UN chief of humanitarian affairs Mark Lowcock said a leak in the tanker in May “brought us closer than ever to an environmental catastrophe.”
He expressed skepticism about Houthi’s offer last week to allow a UN mission to the ship. He recalled that the Houthis announced a similar initiative in August, only to cancel it the night before the planned visit.
“Of course, we have been here before,” he said, and urged the rebels to “take steps to prevent millions of their fellow citizens from another tragedy.”
On Thursday, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told Pamela Falk of CBS News: “We are working as fast as possible. But as you know, whether it is Yemen or any other country, the UN needs permission to operate, so we have what to pass and expect to wait for the correct permits. We are fully mobilized and we will move forward as quickly as possible. “
“We have been pointing to this problem for a long time to make sure it is not in the rear burner but in the front burner and that everyone is paying attention to it, but I can assure you that our colleagues are working as fast as possible.” Dujarric.
Iranian-backed Houthi rebels control Yemen’s Red Sea ports in western Yemen, including Ras Issa, 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) from where FSO Safer has been moored since the 1980s. They are at war with the government. internationally recognized, which is backed by a coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the United States.
The Japanese-built tanker was sold to the Yemeni government in the 1980s to store up to 3 million barrels pumped from the oil fields in Marib province before it was exported. The ship is 360 meters (1,181 feet) long with 34 storage tanks.
In a tweet last month, Britain’s ambassador to Yemen made a comparison to a widely reported fuel leak in Russia.
“20,000 tons of fuel in Russia is causing massive environmental damage in Siberia. The SAFER tanker in Yemen has 150,000 tons of crude that would devastate the Red Sea and its coastline if it leaked,” said Ambassador Michael Aron.
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