• Latest
  • Trending
  • All
  • News
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Science
  • World
  • Lifestyle
  • Tech
Yemen Is Sitting on a Time Bomb Bigger Than the Exxon Valdez

Yemen Is Sitting on a Time Bomb Bigger Than the Exxon Valdez

May 10, 2022
Missile Strike in Kyiv Rattles Residents After Weeks of Quiet

Missile Strike in Kyiv Rattles Residents After Weeks of Quiet

June 26, 2022
Advocates on both sides prepare for new maneuvers, in courtrooms and beyond.

Advocates on both sides prepare for new maneuvers, in courtrooms and beyond.

June 26, 2022
Leonardo DiCaprio, crypto dudes donate big at NYC gala

Leonardo DiCaprio, crypto dudes donate big at NYC gala

June 26, 2022
All The Songs On The 2022 ‘Elvis’ Movie Soundtrack

All The Songs On The 2022 ‘Elvis’ Movie Soundtrack

June 26, 2022
Analysis: Democrats still have this glimmer of hope for the midterm elections

Analysis: Democrats still have this glimmer of hope for the midterm elections

June 26, 2022
Noem says doctors, not pregnant mothers, should be prosecuted following Supreme Court abortion ruling

Noem says doctors, not pregnant mothers, should be prosecuted following Supreme Court abortion ruling

June 26, 2022
‘Westworld’ Star Aaron Paul Brought ‘Piece of Himself’ to Caleb in Season 4

‘Westworld’ Star Aaron Paul Brought ‘Piece of Himself’ to Caleb in Season 4

June 26, 2022
Kate Middleton Wears Full Military Gear in Previously Unseen Photos

Kate Middleton Wears Full Military Gear in Previously Unseen Photos

June 26, 2022
Loco launches India’s first NFT platform for esports

Loco launches India’s first NFT platform for esports

June 26, 2022
Biden wants a gas tax holiday. Here are a few better ideas

Biden wants a gas tax holiday. Here are a few better ideas

June 26, 2022
UK’s Prince Charles received $3.2m from former Qatar PM: Report

UK’s Prince Charles received $3.2m from former Qatar PM: Report

June 26, 2022
Dave Grohl performs with Paul McCartney at Glastonbury in first show since Taylor Hawkins’ death

Dave Grohl performs with Paul McCartney at Glastonbury in first show since Taylor Hawkins’ death

June 26, 2022
DNYUZ
  • Home
  • News
    • U.S.
    • World
    • Politics
    • Opinion
    • Business
    • Crime
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Science
  • Entertainment
    • Culture
    • Music
    • Movie
    • Television
    • Theater
    • Gaming
    • Sports
  • Tech
    • Apps
    • Autos
    • Gear
    • Mobile
    • Startup
  • Lifestyle
    • Arts
    • Fashion
    • Food
    • Health
    • Travel
No Result
View All Result
DNYUZ
No Result
View All Result
Home News

Yemen Is Sitting on a Time Bomb Bigger Than the Exxon Valdez

May 10, 2022
in News
Yemen Is Sitting on a Time Bomb Bigger Than the Exxon Valdez
527
SHARES
1.5k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

In the midst of the war in Yemen, there is an ecological time bomb ticking just off the coast: a derelict oil tanker that could cause a disastrous oil spill unless immediate action is taken to avert the catastrophe.

Originally used as an offshore storage vessel, the FSO Safer was largely abandoned in 2015 when the Yemeni civil war forced its maintenance and repair operations to come to a halt. After years of decay, aid agencies and environmental groups warn that the rusting tanker—which holds an estimated 1.14 million barrels of oil—is now teetering on the verge of collapse.

If the tanker breaks apart, it could cause one of the largest ocean oil spills in history—bigger than the Amoco Cadiz in France in 1978, the Exxon Valdez in Alaska in 1989, or the Prestige in Spain in 2002—and cost tens of billions of dollars to clean up. 

In the midst of the war in Yemen, there is an ecological time bomb ticking just off the coast: a derelict oil tanker that could cause a disastrous oil spill unless immediate action is taken to avert the catastrophe.

Originally used as an offshore storage vessel, the FSO Safer was largely abandoned in 2015 when the Yemeni civil war forced its maintenance and repair operations to come to a halt. After years of decay, aid agencies and environmental groups warn that the rusting tanker—which holds an estimated 1.14 million barrels of oil—is now teetering on the verge of collapse.

If the tanker breaks apart, it could cause one of the largest ocean oil spills in history—bigger than the Amoco Cadiz in France in 1978, the Exxon Valdez in Alaska in 1989, or the Prestige in Spain in 2002—and cost tens of billions of dollars to clean up. 

It is “a ticking time bomb in the Red Sea,” said Ghiwa Nakat, the executive director of Greenpeace for the Middle East and North Africa. “This has been deserted without any maintenance for years now, and the situation is very bad,” she added.

Yemen’s civil war, which has been raging since 2014, drove the country into a full-fledged humanitarian and economic crisis and pushed millions to the brink of famine. The conflict was marked by allegations of war crimes on all sides, including the Iran-backed Houthi rebels purposefully withholding humanitarian aid from civilians in dire straits and the indiscriminate bombing of civilian targets by the Saudi-led coalition supporting the Yemeni government. 

The uncertain fate of the FSO Safer is one of the many knock-on effects of the conflict, despite international diplomatic efforts to find a way to safely remove its oil. If the tanker falls apart, the cost of cleanup could amount to $20 billion, according to estimates from the United Nations. 

“With the start of the war, there was no longer a possibility to keep a full crew on board to maintain it,” said David Gressly, the U.N.’s humanitarian coordinator in Yemen. “Over the last seven years, it’s gradually falling apart. These systems designed for safety have all collapsed.”

The erosion of these systems has drastically increased the chances of either the FSO Safer’s explosion or its complete breakdown, Gressly said, both of which would result in an environmental disaster that could also exacerbate the country’s ongoing economic and humanitarian challenges. 

Experts warn that the scale of this potential spill would eclipse that of the Exxon Valdez oil spill, which dumped around 11 million gallons of oil near Alaska in 1989—roughly one-fourth the oil that the FSO Safer currently holds. One of the United States’ largest oil spills, the Valdez spill has left an enduring environmental and economic mark on the region, killing hundreds of thousands of wild birds, animals, and fish, and inflicting lasting damage on various species. 

“If Safer leaks, the environmental disaster will be four times greater than the Exxon Valdez spill that happened in 1989,” Nakat said. “Alaska’s ecology is still suffering from this spill after more than three decades.”

There’s a new glimmer of hope in Yemen, however, as a new Yemeni government came to power and negotiated a cease-fire with the Houthis that has remained relatively stable, at least so far. This reprieve could potentially offer international envoys a window of opportunity to launch an emergency operation to safely remove the oil.

In March, the U.N. and the Houthis agreed to a memorandum of understanding to offload the oil from the deteriorating FSO Safer to a temporary vessel over a period of four months. The U.N. has called for $80 million to fund this emergency transfer, which it says should happen before the fall, when more volatile weather would make such an operation risky and increase the chance of a possible breakdown. 

The Netherlands is expected to host a U.N.-led conference on Wednesday to raise funds for the initial phase of such an operation. The proposed operation involves two parts. The first is removing the oil from the FSO Safer to a secure temporary vessel in the next four months to ease the immediate danger of an oil spill. From there, the oil would be moved from the temporary vessel to a long-term replacement vessel, which the U.N. hopes to install in the next 18 months. Then the FSO Safer would be towed away and sold for salvage.

“$80 million would quickly secure the oil so it’s no longer a threat to the environment,” Gressly said. “But it’s not sustainable, so we do need to bring in a permanent storage capability.” 

Beyond the environmental toll, a major oil spill would also have major economic and humanitarian repercussions on a population already strained by years of war. In Yemen, approximately 17 million people are in need of food assistance. Much of that assistance enters through nearby ports—a humanitarian lifeline that could potentially close in the event of an oil spill, the U.N. said.

A spill would also threaten the livelihoods of the country’s fishing communities, with roughly half a million people employed in the fishing sector. These impacts are not limited to Yemen, either. “Depending on the season, oil will move into other parts of the Red Sea,” Gressly said. “It could affect the whole Saudi Red Sea coast. It could affect Eritrea, it could affect Somalia, it could affect Djibouti.”

And the window to act is quickly closing. “The more we lose time, the risk is more imminent,” Nakat said. “It might happen at any point.”

The post Yemen Is Sitting on a Time Bomb Bigger Than the Exxon Valdez appeared first on Foreign Policy.

Tags: Energy and the Environmentenergy policyMiddle East and North AfricaOil ProductionYemen
Share211Tweet132Share

Trending Posts

Pence chief of staff says Meadows was “telling different audiences all sorts of stories”

Pence chief of staff says Meadows was “telling different audiences all sorts of stories”

June 26, 2022
G-7 unveils $600B plan to combat China’s global reach

G-7 unveils $600B plan to combat China’s global reach

June 26, 2022
Read Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Tweets About The Supreme Court’s Abortion Ruling

Read Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Tweets About The Supreme Court’s Abortion Ruling

June 26, 2022
Olivia Rodrigo Sent A Message To SCOTUS Justices After The Roe Reversal

Olivia Rodrigo Sent A Message To SCOTUS Justices After The Roe Reversal

June 26, 2022
Fight Over Abortion Pills Takes Shape in Post-Roe America

Fight Over Abortion Pills Takes Shape in Post-Roe America

June 26, 2022

Copyright © 2022.

Site Navigation

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • U.S.
    • World
    • Politics
    • Opinion
    • Business
    • Crime
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Science
  • Entertainment
    • Culture
    • Gaming
    • Music
    • Movie
    • Sports
    • Television
    • Theater
  • Tech
    • Apps
    • Autos
    • Gear
    • Mobile
    • Startup
  • Lifestyle
    • Arts
    • Fashion
    • Food
    • Health
    • Travel

Copyright © 2022.