UN salvage operation for Yemen's Safer tanker on the verge of success

According to Arab News, the executive vice president of the Maritime Affairs Authority and acting head of the Safer National Committee, Yeslem Mubarak, said that "the operation will be completed by the end of the week". It is estimated that more than 96% of the tanker's cargo has already been transferred to the replacement vessel.

The tanker Safer, which contains about 1.1 million barrels of crude oil, has been stranded for years in the Red Sea, north of the Yemeni port of Hodeidah. The tanker has received virtually no maintenance since the start of Yemen's devastating civil war in 2015, and its condition has deteriorated considerably over the years. After years of negotiation between the UN and the Houthi rebels, the green light was given for the operation to transfer the tanker, which could cause a massive environmental disaster.

The transfer operations began on 30 May, with the arrival of the rescue ship Ndeavor. Subsequently, the Sana'a authorities gave the green light for the start of oil transfer operations. On 25 July, the UN announced the start of the operation, which has been running successfully ever since.

The operation has been made possible by donations from private companies and public entities, with a contribution of $115 million to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The SFO Safer, which contains more than one million barrels of crude oil, has been described as a "ticking time bomb" due to its imminent risk of causing a major spill, either through leakage, rupture or explosion.

Authorities and critics warn of the possible use of the new tanker used for the transfer as a bargaining chip by the Houthi rebels in order to obtain concessions from the international community and the Yemeni government. As Mubarak also explained, "we hope that the efforts will result in a solution to the problem of oil sales so that disaster can be completely averted before the condition of the alternative tanker deteriorates, as the Houthis' failure and inability to provide funds for its maintenance will turn it back into a ticking time bomb, as was the case with Safer", according to Arab News.

Millions of Yemenis who depend on fishing and desalination to survive would benefit from the successful completion of the 40-year-old vessel's operation, which would also represent a major victory for the UN and its allies. It would also lessen the possibility of a global environmental catastrophe with far-reaching effects on Yemen, the region and globally.