UNITED NATIONS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th July, 2020) The rebel Houthi movement has given the United Nations access to the decaying tanker Safer, moored off Yemen's coast, to take measures to avoid a catastrophic oil spill in the Red Sea, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a press briefing on Monday.
"I can confirm that the local de-facto authorities in Yemen have officially communicated to the United Nations their approval for a UN-led technical assessment and repair mission onboard the Safer oil tanker on the coast of Ras Issa," Dujarric told reporters.
The United Nations is now working to ensure that the mission can be deployed to the site as soon as possible and undertake initial repairs of the ship, followed by providing advise about further actions needed to mitigate risks to environment and international maritime traffic in the region, Dujarric said.
On Wednesday, the UN Security Council will discuss the situation regarding the tanker, which some fear could explode at any time due to significant structural deterioration.
According to the United Nations, seawater reportedly entered the engine compartment of the tanker in May that can lead to a catastrophic oil spill.
The tanker fell into the hands of the Houthi movement when they took control of the area in which the vessel was docked five years ago. There are more than one million barrels of oil in the ship and the entire cargo is worth nearly $77 million.
