UN warns Houthi insurgents of massive oil spill amidst refusal to provide a security guarantee to rescue team

The United Nations had earlier planned to launch its maritime operation to salvage the abandoned oil tanker stationed near Yemen’s port, earlier this month. Experts have warned that the FSO tanker which been left near the Ras Issa Port of Hodeidah City, could pose grave environmental damage due to its dilapidated condition. The UN forces wanted to initiate a damage control operation to prevent any oil leakage from the 45-years old tanker. UN officials warned the Houthi insurgents of the oil spill as the tanker has been holding about 1.1 million barrels of crude oil, four times the oil which the Exxon Valdez was carrying in the 1989 disaster.

The UN had to delay the operation to avert the environmental catastrophe indefinitely amid a lack of written guarantee from the extremist group, ensuring the safety of the UN team. The maritime ecological experts said that the 1,188-foot vessel, which has been marooned off near Yemen’s coast for the past 6 years, was nothing less than a floating bomb. They fear more, given the country's volatile situation and an ongoing armed conflict between the Iran-backed militant group and the Saudi-led coalition backing the Yemen government.

Observers believed that Houthis’ control over the port city, a core entry point for the country’s aid supplies could prove detrimental for Yemen. The insurgent group not only denied access to the UN team for tanker’s maintenance but also blocked humanitarian aid supplies by various international organizations. Last year in November, Houthi militants granted the UN formal permission to undertake the operation to treat Safer. 

Stéphane Dujarric, the chief UN spokesman, said that right after the November talks, the organization started making preparations for the operation, including procuring equipment and personnel required to empty Safer before safely dismantling and disposing of it. After putting in $3.35 million in preparation, the organization discovered that the group went back on its words and turned down its request for a letter with security assurances.

“We regret that, to date, we have not received a response to our multiple requests for this letter, the lack of which would increase the cost of the mission by hundreds of thousands of dollars,” Mr. Dujarric said in a statement.

“We are also very concerned by indications that the Houthi de facto authorities are considering a ‘review’ of their formal approval of the mission to deploy,” he said. “Houthi officials have advised the U.N. to pause certain preparations pending the outcome of such process, which would create further delays to the mission.”

As a result, Mr. Dujarric said, “the timeline of deployment of the mission remains uncertain and dependent on the continued facilitation of all stakeholders involved.”

So far Houthis are maintaining their silence over the matter and preferring to stay oblivious to the environmental calamity which could impact both marine and human life for the next 30 years.