New York (Union)
Yesterday, the United Nations announced that a giant tanker dedicated to removing oil from the stranded “Safer” ship off the Yemeni coast had sailed from China on its way to Yemen, describing it as an “important” step in efforts to prevent a major spill.
Last March, the United Nations Development Program bought the tanker “Nautica” to remove more than a million barrels of oil from the stranded ship “FS or Safer”.
This was an unusual step taken by the UN, and was welcomed as a major advance in efforts to avert a potentially catastrophic oil spill.
And the Yemeni authorities reported that the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen had lifted restrictions on imports destined for the ports in the south of the country, while sources indicated that intensive efforts were continuing to reach an agreement on a permanent ceasefire and an end to the eight-year conflict in the country.
Since the outbreak of the war in Yemen in 2015, Safer has been left deserted off the port of Hodeidah, which is controlled by the Houthi militia, an important gateway for shipments to a country that relies heavily on emergency foreign aid.
The United Nations Development Program said, in a statement, that the “Nautica” left the port, last Wednesday, after undergoing routine maintenance in Zhoushan, China.
A United Nations spokesman said that the ship, which was bought by the major tanker company Euronav, is expected to reach its destination in early May, and will stop on its way to make further technical adjustments.
“The departure of Nautica and its voyage to the Red Sea constitute an important next step in the complex process of withdrawing oil from Safer,” said Achim Steiner, Administrator of the United Nations Development Program.
He called for urgent contributions to finance the operation, whose budget of $129 million still has a gap of $34 million. The United Nations has launched a crowdfunding page that aims to raise $500,000.
He added, “We are in a race against time, and I urge government leaders, corporate CEOs, and anyone in a position to contribute, to come forward to support us in continuing to keep this process on track after it has quickly reached a critical stage.”
The statement cited “rising costs” for VLCCs such as Nautica due to the crisis in Ukraine.
“We have the best technical expertise available, and the political support from all sides,” said David Gresley, the UN’s humanitarian coordinator for Yemen.
“We just need the last bit of funding this month to ensure success” and prevent “catastrophe,” he added.
The Safer tanker’s load of 1.1 million barrels of oil is four times what was leaked in the “Exxon Valdez” disaster in 1989, which is considered the worst environmental disaster in the world, according to the United Nations.
An environmental catastrophe could also close the Bab al-Mandab Strait, which would do great damage to the global economy by closing the Suez Canal.
Meanwhile, the authorities reported that the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen had canceled eight-year restrictions on imports destined for the southern ports of the country.
The government said, in a statement, that the ports of the south, including Aden, will be allowed to receive all commercial ships directly, while ensuring that all types of goods are allowed through the ports, except for those prohibited by law.
Abu Bakr Baabid, vice president of the General Federation of Yemeni Chambers of Commerce, told Reuters that more than 500 types of goods will be allowed to return to Yemen through the southern ports, including fertilizers and batteries, after being removed from the list of prohibited products.
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