UN Launches Campaign to Collect Funds, Clean Pollution Caused by Sinking Ship in Red Sea

The Belize-flagged cargo ship Rubymar damaged in a missile strike claimed by the Houthis. AFP
The Belize-flagged cargo ship Rubymar damaged in a missile strike claimed by the Houthis. AFP
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UN Launches Campaign to Collect Funds, Clean Pollution Caused by Sinking Ship in Red Sea

The Belize-flagged cargo ship Rubymar damaged in a missile strike claimed by the Houthis. AFP
The Belize-flagged cargo ship Rubymar damaged in a missile strike claimed by the Houthis. AFP

The UN has invited donor countries to contribute to the costs of cleaning up pollution caused by the sinking of the British Rubymar following a Houthi attack off the coast of Mocha in February, revealed Yemeni government sources.

“The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has issued a call for contributions of donor countries to help clean up pollution that has begun to emerge due to the sinking of Rubymar in Yemen,” the sources told Asharq Al-Awsat on Sunday.

The Rubymar sank following a Houthi attack on February 18.

According to sources, the IMO’s call to clean up pollution followed the “unfounded” recommendations of a UN panel of experts, who suggested that the ship be left to sink, and assured that its cargo of fuel and fertilizer would slowly leak into the water and its effect would disappear.

“IMO has not yet responded to the observations of the Yemeni government concerning the ship, but it issued a call for contributions of oil pollution response equipment to support operations related to the sinking of Rubymar following a missile strike launched by the Iranian-backed Houthis,” the sources said.

Five months ago, the cargo ship Rubymar was targeted by a Houthi ballistic missile, IMO said earlier.

Two weeks later, it sank off the coast of Mocha with approximately 22,000 metric tons of ammonium phosphate-sulphate fertilizer, 200 tons of heavy fuel oil, and 80 tons of marine diesel on board.

Oil Slick

IMO said the ship sank in approximately 100m of water and resulted in a 29-km oil slick in the days following the incident.

The ship is currently partially submerged at the location of its sinking, with the remaining bunker fuel and fertilizer cargo onboard representing a significant environmental threat to Yemen, in particular to the nearby Hanish Islands, a biologically rich area, it added.

IOM said it takes the opportunity to invite in-kind contributions of spill response equipment in support of Yemen in the face of this environmental threat, recognizing the lack of specialized oil spill response equipment within the country to respond to a possible leak from the ship.

The 49-item list of equipment needed to respond to this environmental disaster includes equipment for marine containment and recovery operations, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROUV or ROV).

The IMO’s call came while the UN is still unable to complete the salvaging of the dilapidated Safar oil tanker after the cargo of oil aboard the tanker was pumped onto a replacement vessel purchased from donor donations, due to Houthi objections.

The Yemeni government has been insistent that the international community offer immediate assistance to handle the Rubymar ship and retrieve it to prevent its cargo from spilling into the sea.



Trump's Syria Policy Dominates Opening of 'Astana 22' Talks

The foreign ministers of Türkiye, Russia and Iran meet in New York in September. (Turkish Foreign Ministry)
The foreign ministers of Türkiye, Russia and Iran meet in New York in September. (Turkish Foreign Ministry)
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Trump's Syria Policy Dominates Opening of 'Astana 22' Talks

The foreign ministers of Türkiye, Russia and Iran meet in New York in September. (Turkish Foreign Ministry)
The foreign ministers of Türkiye, Russia and Iran meet in New York in September. (Turkish Foreign Ministry)

The 22nd round of the Astana peace talks on Syria kicked off in Kazakhstan’s capital on Monday. The talks, held over two days, brought together Syria’s government, opposition and guarantor states Russia, Iran and Türkiye, with observers from Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon and the UN.

The talks, initiated by Russia and supported by Türkiye and Iran, will focus on key issues such as the potential shifts in US policy toward Syria under President-elect Donald Trump, according to Russian presidential envoy to Syria Alexander Lavrentiev.

The talks will also address regional tensions, including the spread of the Gaza conflict into Lebanon, ongoing Israeli airstrikes on Syria and concerns over the risk of the regional conflict expanding further.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov stressed the importance of meeting before the end of the year to set priorities for Syria and the region.

This comes after the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights revealed a “secret” Russian-Syrian agreement to limit the movement of Hezbollah, Iranian forces and Iranian-backed militias in Syria.

As well as the Syrian conflict, the talks will cover issues such as prisoner releases, missing persons, humanitarian conditions, international support for peace efforts, Syria’s reconstruction and the return of refugees.

The current round of talks will focus on the political and military situation around Syria.

Lavrentiev said Russia will do everything possible to prevent the Gaza conflict from spreading to Syria.

Potential changes in US policy toward Syria under Trump are a major topic for discussion among the ceasefire guarantors, he added. Russia will focus on concrete actions and proposals, rather than just statements, especially as expectations grow that Trump will follow through on his pledge to withdraw US troops from Syria.

This move could shift the balance of power and affect the actions of various parties. The withdrawal is a key demand for Russia, Iran and Türkiye, the three guarantor states of the Astana process.