A derelict tanker threatens to cause an oil spill in the Red Sea. “With its polluting load of oil, (it) poses a serious threat to communities and the environment of the Red Sea”, alarmed Greenpeace (in English), Thursday January 27. About 45 years old and containing 1.1 million barrels of crude, the FSO Safer has been anchored since 2015 off the port of Hodeidah, some six kilometers off the coast of Yemen, a poor country in the Arabian peninsula ravaged by war. and facing one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world.
“Measures to prevent a major disaster, or at least limit its impact, cannot wait any longer”, warned Ahmed El Droubi, head of the Middle East at Greenpeace in a press release from the NGO. According to a report by Greenpeace, an oil spill could lead to the closure of the ports of Hodeida and Salif through which 68% of humanitarian aid arrives, potentially affecting more than 8.4 million people. Desalination plants in Hodeidah, Salif and Aden could also be affected and lead to the interruption of drinking water supplies for around ten million people.
Moreover, in this country on the verge of famine, the food security of more than 1.7 million Yemenis depends on fishing, underlines Greenpeace, warning of the danger of the destruction of the ecosystems of the Red Sea. A leak could also affect neighboring countries, including Djibouti, Eritrea and Saudi Arabia, as well as commercial maritime traffic in the Red Sea.
The inspection of the ship, whose condition is deteriorating, has dragged on for years between requests for access from the UN and refusal by the Houthi rebels, who control the majority of the north of the country as well as the ports of Hodeida and Salif. “The technology and expertise to transfer the oil to other tankers exists, but after months of negotiations we are still at an impasse”, lamented Paul Horsman, project manager at Greenpeace International.