Yemen: 'optimism in operation to salvage the Safer tanker' - Press Conference | United Nations

The United Nations of Earth reporting on this issue: "Yemen: 'optimism in operation to salvage the Safer tanker' - Press Conference | United Nations"
The topics: The United Nations Resident Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen, David Gressly, today (8 Apr) told journalists in New York that he was “optimistic” that the operation to salvage the Safer tanker off the coast of Yemen, “will end up as a positive news story.” Gressly said his team “has been working very hard with others over the past six months to defuse what's aptly been called a time bomb sitting off Yemen's Red Sea coast,” and noted that there is a new United Nations coordinated plan in place “to address the imminent threat of a major oil spill from the Safer.” A spill, he said, “would unleash a massive ecological and humanitarian catastrophe centred on a country already decimated by more than seven years of war.” The humanitarian official said, “without funding over the next six weeks or so, the project will not begin on time and this time bomb will continue to tick,” and expressed concern that the operation needs to take place “by the end of September to avoid the turbulent winds and currents that start in the latter part of the year, in October, November December, increasing the risk of a breakup.” The “good news,” he said, is that the United Nations has “a viable plan to address the threat,” supported by the Government of Yemen in Aden, as well as “a memorandum of understanding with the Sana’a based de facto authorities which control the area where the vessel is located.” Gressly told journalists that next week, he will lead a mission to donor capitals in the Gulf region “to discuss the plan and seek their support,” and stressed that “the plan success hinges on donor commitments of funds now, to begin work by the beginning of June.” The FSO Safer is anchored just 4.8 nautical miles off the Yemen coast.


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