UNITED NATIONS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th August, 2020) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for granting independent technical experts unconditional access to the Safer oil tanker, moored off the Yemeni coast, to advert catastrophic humanitarian and environmental consequences for the region, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a statement on Friday.
"The Secretary-General urges the removal of any obstacles to the efforts needed to mitigate the dangers posed by the Safer tanker without delay," Dujarric said. "He specifically calls for granting independent technical experts unconditional access to the tanker to assess its condition and conduct any possible initial repairs."
The decaying tanker, which is loaded with 1 million barrels of crude oil, has not seen any adequate maintenance since 2015 and is at risk of exploding.
The assessment will provide critical scientific evidence for the next steps to be taken in order to avoid a major disaster, the spokesman said.
He added that a potential oil leak into the Red Sea, where the ship is anchored, would severely harm the ecosystems on which 30 million people in the region rely.
The leak would also force the port of Al-Hudaydah to shut down for many months, which could worsen Yemen's already severe economic crisis and deprive millions of people of access to food, Dujarric said.
In July, the United Nations sent an official request to the Houthi authorities, who control the nearby port of Hudaydah, to access the tanker, examine it and undertake initial repairs.
