UN expresses concern over the neglect of the oil tanker Safer
The United Nations expressed dismay at not having received a letter of security assurances from the Yemeni Houthi coup militia regarding the procedures for the deployment of the team of experts for the maintenance of the floating tanker Safer off the coast of the Red Sea Governorate of Hodeidah.
It also expressed grave concern over indications that the Houthi group is considering revising its official approval of the expert mission. UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the UN's failure to receive a response from the Houthi militia could lead to further delays in the expert mission and an increase in the cost of the mission.
Dujarric said that without a letter the cost of the mission would increase by "hundreds of thousands of dollars". He added that they are also "very concerned about indications that the de facto Houthi authorities are considering a 'revision' of their formal approval of the mission's deployment."
He added that "Houthi officials have advised the UN to halt certain preparations pending the outcome of that process, which would create further delays to the mission". In November the Houthis agreed to the scope of work for the technical mission and it is not until early March that the team of experts will arrive at the tanker.
Yemen's legitimate government revealed that the Houthi militia, which is on the US list of terrorist organisations, has once again withdrawn a week ago. Allowing a UN team access to the Safer oil tanker amid a growing warning about the oil spill, which threatens the occurrence of the world's biggest environmental disaster.
Muammar al-Eryani, Yemen's information minister, said the Houthi militia is backing out of an agreement signed with the UN and backed by Iran. It will allow a UN team to board the safer tanker and assess the technical situation for holding or offloading its cargo of more than a million barrels of oil, scheduled for early February.
The minister confirmed in several posts on his Twitter profile that the Houthi militia's repeated retreat from its obligations confirms that the group has seized the Safer tanker to blackmail the international community and for political gain. All this without heeding warnings of the catastrophic environmental, economic and humanitarian risks from leaks, sinkings or explosions of the tanker.
The tanker "Safer" is carrying about 1.1 billion barrels of crude oil. Houthi militias have refused to maintain it for five years and any oil spill would cause an environmental and economic disaster for Yemen and the region.
The UN warned last year that the tanker has not been maintained for more than five years and could cause an environmental, economic and humanitarian catastrophe. Rust has covered parts of the tanker and inert gas that prevents tanks from accumulating flammable gases has leaked out. Experts say maintenance is no longer possible because the damage to the ship is irreversible, according to an AP report.
Recently, satellite images showed the start of an oil spill from the Safer floating tank in the port of Ras Issa in the Hodeidah Governorate on the Red Sea in western Yemen.
