Urgent Funding Needed to Transfer Over 1 Million Barrels of Oil from the FSO Safer
The United Nations is requesting $144 million to fund the urgent salvage operation of the FSO Safer, a decaying oil tanker moored off the coast of Yemen that poses a serious environmental risk. The vessel is carrying over 1 million barrels of crude oil, and its deterioration threatens to unleash a massive oil spill in the Red Sea.
The requested funds include $80 million for the transfer of the oil to a safe storage facility. The pledging conference, co-hosted by the U.N. and the Netherlands, follows an agreement made two months ago between the U.N. and Yemen’s Houthi rebels. This agreement aims to move the oil to another vessel and ensures a replacement equivalent to the FSO Safer within 18 months, suitable for export purposes.