Yemeni Foreign Minister Dr. Ahmed bin Mubarak discussed on Tuesday with Resident Coordinator for Humanitarian Affairs in Yemen, David Gressly, the importance of expanding the application of decentralization in humanitarian work and the permanent presence of international organizations in the Yemeni governorates.
During a meeting in The Hague, the two sides reviewed the progress made in implementing the UN plan to address the issue of the Safer tanker, the floating oil storage and offloading vessel that is moored in the Red Sea north of the Yemeni city of Hodeidah.
Two weeks ago, the UN said it sent technical support to soon begin salvage 1.1 million barrels of oil from the Safer tanker moored off Yemen's coasts of Ras El-Ain.
The salvage operation is expected to cost $129 million. The UN said that $75 million had been received and another $20 million had been pledged.
The UN said it could still suspend the operation if it does not secure the remaining funds.
On Tuesday, Bin Mubarak appreciated the efforts being made and the contributions offered by the international community to avert an environmental catastrophe whose effects could last for decades.
An oil spill from the FSO Safer would destroy coral reefs and other sea life in the Red Sea, jeopardize hundreds of thousands of jobs in the fishing industry, and cut Yemen off from supplies of food and fuel, the United Nations and other organizations have warned.
During the meeting with Gressly, bin Mubarak tackled the mobilization of resources to deal with the issues of internal displacement and mine clearance.
Meanwhile, Chair of the Redeployment Coordination Committee (RCC) and Head of the United Nations Mission to support the Hodeidah Agreement (UNMHA), Major General Michael Beary, briefed Tuesday, in a closed session, the Security Council on the situation in Hodeidah.
The General drew attention to the devastating impact of mines and explosive ordnance on the local population and assured the Council that UNMHA will continue to strengthen mine action coordination towards improving the situation.
Beary then reiterated commitment to furthering the UN's collective efforts toward stability and peace in Yemen.
The Saudi MASAM project in Yemen, overseen by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center, has seen a milestone 400,000 landmines and unexploded ordnance cleared in more than five years.
