Doha, August 07 (QNA) - In light of the efforts to avoid an environmental disaster in the Red Sea, the United Nations (UN) has come a long way in the process of unloading the oil stored in the dilapidated and abandoned floating oil storage (FSO) Safer, anchored off the coast of Al-Hodeidah Governorate in western Yemen, as it has reached the final stages.

Two days ago, UN announced that more than 71 percent of its oil had been transferred to the alternative ship 'Yemen' (formerly known as Nautica).

As the unloading process continues around the clock, the UN hopes to successfully complete this process within 19 days, noting that the process was launched on July 26.

Secretary-General of UN Antonio Guterre said that starting the process of transferring oil from Safer is a crucial step in avoiding an environmental and humanitarian catastrophe on a massive scale, describing the process as an operation to defuse what might be the world's largest ticking time bomb.

Administrator of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Achim Steiner stressed that with every barrel of oil unloaded from the Safer taker, the future of Yemeni fishers and communities is more secure, emphasizing the UN's commitment to continuous work to protect livelihoods there.

However, UN warned that even after the completion of the unloading process, the Safer tanker will continue to pose a threat to the environment, due to the viscous oil that will remain in it and the risk of its continuous collapse.

A spokesperson for UNDP said that the unloading process requires extreme caution, while specialized experts expressed their doubt regarding the certainty of success of the process, explaining that high temperatures, old pipes and other factors pose potential threats.

In may 2023, the State of Qatar participated in the high-level virtual event on preventing oil spill in Red Sea from the FSO 'Safer.' In the meeting, the State of Qatar was represented by HE Minister of State for International Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Lolwah bint Rashid Al Khater.

In remarks during the event, Her Excellency extended thanks and appreciation to the governments of the United Kingdom and the Kingdom of the Netherlands in cooperation with the United Nations, for inviting the State of Qatar to participate in this important event.

Her Excellency pointed out that the UN leadership has played an important role in preventing the spill of oil from the Safer tanker in the Red Sea, and has closely worked with the member states to identify the solutions and enhance the effective prevention strategies, ensuring the State of Qatar's commitment to support the Yemeni people.

HE Minister of State for International Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the State of Qatar is committed to solving this catastrophic humanitarian and environmental issue, alongside other international partners, to mitigate its impacts on the brothers and sisters in Yemen and the Red Sea region.

The impact of this spill could expand further and destroy fishing communities in Yemen; triggering closure of water desalination plants and vital cargo transport ports, which could have long-term consequences on the region, she added.

Her Excellency pointed out that the State of Qatar has contributed to the first fundraising event in May 2022, in addition to contributing to the second fundraising event in September 2022, with a total of USD 3 million to support UN-coordinated rescue operations to prevent a catastrophic spill.

The Safer tanker was constructed 47 years ago and has been used as a floating storage since the 80s.

The tanker is moored about 50 kilometers from the strategic port of Al-Hodeidah, which is a major gateway for entry of sea shipments to Yemen. It is owned by the Yemeni state oil company, and it has been used since 1986 as a floating storage unit in the Red Sea to receive and export crude from the Safer fields in Ma'rib governorate.

The possibility of a leakage of the quantities stored in Safer has increased since 2015, especially after water leaked into the engine room in June 2020, and the crude oil and gases rising from the tanker have become a serious threat to the region because it has not undergone maintenance work since 2015.

Because of the ship's location in the Red Sea, any leakage could cause huge losses to the global economy by closing the Suez Canal, and it may lead to more traffic congestion in one of the busiest waterways in the world - Bab Al-Mandab Strait.

The worst-case scenario is that it could cause the closure of Al-Hodeidah port, which is the gateway through which 90 percent of the food, medical supplies and aid for Yeminis pass.

Although no agreement was reached regarding the selling of the oil unloaded from the Safer tanker, this process - according to observers, may be a major step to expand dialogue between the conflicting parties in Yemen, and it may lead to more support for the aspired peace process in Yemen.

(QNA)