Yemen’s Minister of Water and Environment, Tawfiq al-Sharjabi discussed with his Saudi counterpart, Abdul Rahman al-Fadhli, boosting coordination to confront the repercussions of the looming environmental and humanitarian catastrophe of the eroding Safer oil tanker, according to Yemeni official sources.
The Saba news agency stated that the meeting, held via video conference, tackled the condition of the tanker that has been moored off the Yemeni coast for more than five years.
They also addressed the plans to confront natural disasters in both countries, and the ongoing preparations against any possible leak, explosion or sinking of the tanker, which has not been maintained since 2015.
The meeting also touched on the potential environmental damage and ways to cooperate in monitoring the environmental conditions in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, which are expected to be affected by the potential disaster as a result of the leak or explosion of the tanker’s reservoir.
Sharjabi stressed the importance of taking joint positions against the Iran-backed Houthi militias’ procrastination and refusal to allow a UN team to board the tanker to assess the damage and maintain it, according to the sources.
The minister said the militias want to keep using the tanker as a pressure card, ignoring the humanitarian, environmental and economic catastrophe that could be caused by its explosion or oil leak.
The sources also quoted the Saudi minister as stressing the need to support joint coordination and increase efforts to resolve the crisis, reiterating the Kingdom’s “support to Yemen in responding to the impending environmental disaster.”
