Initiative to withdraw oil from abandoned "Safer" tanker off Yemen

The UN has initiated the process of offloading the abandoned oil tanker "Safer" off the Yemeni strategic port of Al Hudaydah in the Red Sea on Tuesday, aiming to avert an environmental catastrophe, according to a statement by the United Nations.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated in the release, "The United Nations has begun the process of defusing what could be the largest floating bomb in the world," adding, "a complex operation is underway in the Red Sea to transfer one million barrels of oil from the leaking Safer vessel to an alternative ship."

The operation commenced at 10:45 Yemen time (07:45 UTC), as mentioned in the statement.

It is expected that the transfer of 1.14 million barrels of Marib light crude oil to the new vessel will take less than three weeks. The UN hopes that this operation, which costs $143 million, will eliminate the risks of an environmental disaster that could result in damages of approximately $20 billion.

The "Safer," built 47 years ago and used as a floating storage and offloading unit since the 1980s, is anchored around 50 kilometers from the strategic port of Al Hudaydah, a key gateway for incoming shipments.

Since 2015, the "Safer" has not undergone any maintenance due to the ongoing war in Yemen between the government and the Houthi rebels, with military intervention led by Saudi Arabia to support the internationally recognized government.

Due to the vessel's location in the Red Sea, any potential leakage could also cost billions of dollars daily, disrupting shipping routes between the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Suez Canal.

The decaying tanker holds four times the amount of oil that Exxon Valdez had on board, and its previous leak caused an environmental disaster in 1989 off Alaska.

Last week, Greenpeace praised the UN-led "high-risk" operation to offload the oil but warned that the threat of an environmental catastrophe could not be fully avoided until the crude is entirely removed.

Over the years, a few crew members of the "Safer" have worked to address leaks and conduct minor repairs under immense psychological pressure to avoid any potential leaks or explosions.

In March, the UN purchased the vessel "Nautica" with the aim of transferring the cargo.

Two months later, an expert team from the private company "SMIT Salvage," responsible for the oil removal, boarded the "Safer" to assess its condition and prepare for the operation.

The UN handed over the symbolic ownership of the vessel "Nautica" to the "people of Yemen" a week ago, although the shipping company "Euronav" will continue managing it on behalf of the UN for at least six more months.

The UN warned that even after completing the transfer process, the "Safer" tank would remain an environmental threat due to the sticky oil residue left behind and its continuous risk of collapse.

The parties to the Yemeni conflict are disputing the ownership of the oil and the vessel, which will be renamed "Yemen."

The Houthis previously announced their intention to sell the oil and use the proceeds to pay salaries of employees working in their administered departments. They also called for the completion of building onshore storage facilities where the oil will likely be stored later.

On the other hand, the Yemeni government has urged that any funds derived from the oil's sale be spent on healthcare and humanitarian projects.

Yemen, one of the poorest countries in the Arabian Peninsula, has been engulfed in a deadly conflict since 2014 between forces loyal to the government and Houthi rebels. The conflict escalated with Saudi Arabia's military intervention in a coalition in March 2015 to stop the Houthi advancement, supported by Iran, after they seized control of the capital Sanaa.

The war has resulted in tens of thousands of Yemeni casualties and caused a humanitarian crisis deemed the worst in the world by the United Nations, with millions of people displaced.

The intensity of the battles significantly decreased since the ceasefire declared in April 2022, although its term expired after six months.

In the past April, a Saudi delegation led by the Kingdom's ambassador to Yemen, Mohammed al-Jaber, visited Sanaa and engaged in direct talks with the Houthis, raising hopes for a settlement to the conflict.

Some believe that the progress made on the "Safer" issue could be an indicator of the possibility of a long-term truce announcement.

Yemeni businessman Fathi Feham, who first proposed the idea of replacing "Safer" with another vessel two years ago, stated, "I hope this is the beginning of a peace process."

David Gressly, the UN Resident Coordinator for Yemen, considered the resolution of the "Safer" matter as "something that could help because as soon as there is an initiative, a project, it must involve the collaboration of all parties. It's a positive indicator that can be utilized and built upon."

He added, "But there is much work that needs to be done to establish peace here; there are still many unresolved issues. The 'Safer' issue, in and of itself, will not resolve those matters."



AFP