In a significant achievement for environmental preservation, the United Nations announced on August 10 the successful completion of a challenging operation to remove over 1 mn barrels of oil from a deteriorating supertanker off Yemen's Red Sea coastline. This endeavor has averted what could have been a devastating environmental catastrophe.
The rusting Safer tanker had been a cause for concern for years, with U.N. officials and activists warning that it posed a grave threat to the Red Sea coastline. The vessel's degradation and potential for rupture or explosion could have resulted in a catastrophic oil spill, potentially surpassing the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster off Alaska, spilling four times as much oil.
The Safer tanker had been stationed off Yemen for more than three decades and became a victim of the maintenance suspension triggered by the ongoing war in Yemen, leading to a deteriorating condition.
Achim Steiner, the administrator of the U.N. Development Programme, lauded the successful operation, calling it a "major moment of having averted a potentially catastrophic disaster." The intricate effort involved in the oil removal process was coordinated by the U.N. Development Programme. Salvage crews had to work for 18 days amidst challenging conditions, including a coastal conflict zone containing sea mines, sweltering summer temperatures, and powerful currents.
The operation was supported by funding from multiple sources, with more than $120 mn raised by the U.N. to cover the expenses. The endeavor necessitated the procurement of a second tanker to accommodate the offloaded crude oil. Additionally, aircraft were on standby, equipped with chemicals to disperse oil in the event of a spill. A complex network of policies with over a dozen insurers was established to underwrite the operation.
Steiner emphasized the need for preparedness and risk mitigation throughout the operation, noting that this commitment remained until the last moments of the process.
"The best end to the story will be when that oil actually is sold and leaves the region altogether," he added.
However, the future of oil remains uncertain. Negotiations are set to commence between U.N. officials in Yemen and the country's conflicting groups regarding the sharing of proceeds from a potential sale of the oil. The oil is primarily owned by the Yemeni state firm SEPOC.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres acknowledged the significance of the achievement in a social media post, highlighting that an "environmental & humanitarian catastrophe" was successfully averted. He urged donors to continue their support to ensure the completion of the project.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken commended the United Nations and the Yemeni parties involved for their collaboration in averting an environmental, economic, and humanitarian disaster. He praised the operation as a model of international cooperation for disaster prevention.
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