UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations aims to raise the final $29 million required to start salvaging 1.1 million barrels of oil from the decaying Safer oil tanker moored off the war-torn coast of Yemen.
For years, the UN has been warning that the tanker poses a major environmental threat, as it could spill much more oil than the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster off Alaska.
The UN plan to offload the oil needs $129 million, including the purchase of a large tanker, which has become more expensive due to the war in Ukraine. So far, around $99 million has been raised from governments, private donors, and crowdfunding.
The operation cannot be funded by the sale of the oil as it is not clear who owns it, the UN has said. The Safer tanker has been left unattended since 2015 because of the ongoing conflict in Yemen, causing the vessel to deteriorate significantly and posing a risk of explosion.
The UN procured a tanker, the Nautica, in March, which set sail from China in early April.
UN hopes to raise $29 million
A UN pledging event co-hosted by the Netherlands and Britain on Thursday hopes to raise the remaining $29 million needed to start the operation.
Yemen has been in conflict since the Iran-aligned Houthis ousted the government in late 2014. Peace initiatives have seen increased momentum since Riyadh and Tehran agreed to restore diplomatic ties in March.
UN Yemen envoy Hans Grundberg is holding meetings in Yemen and the region this week. The salvaging of the oil from the Safer tanker is considered a critical step in protecting the environment and reducing the risk of a humanitarian disaster in Yemen, where more than 20 million people are in need of aid.
