UNITED NATIONS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 25th February, 2021) The United Nations is facing new challenges from the rebel Houthi movement in accessing the abandoned Safer oil tanker off the coast of Yemen, indefinitely delaying the deployment of a repair mission in the ship, which is on the brink of collapse, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a press briefing on Wednesday.
"We, unfortunately, encountered some new delays after recent additional requests from the Houthis... and those additional requests are focused on logistics and security arrangements," Dujarric said. "Because of this, it's now difficult to say exactly when the mission could be deployed given these developments."
Dujarric said the United Nations is currently engaged in negotiations with the Houthis on the outstanding issues and cannot finalize the mission's preparations until those are resolved.
The deployment of the technical team in the ship, loaded with 1.1 million barrels of oil, was initially planned for late January or early February. The mission has since been postponed several times because of delays in shipping the needed equipment as well as bureaucratic procedures imposed by the Houthis.
Dujarric said the United Nations is willing to send the team as soon as possible as it will become the first step in averting an environmental and humanitarian disaster in the Red Sea and the port of Al-Hudaydah.
"The mission will give the assessment we need to formulate a permanent solution. It's already two years too late and cannot be stalled any longer," Dujarric said.
Safer has been anchored off Yemen's Red Sea coast since 2015 and in addition to nearing a collapse of its structure, it is also vulnerable to being his by firearms and exploding.
