ADEN (Debriefer)--The Minister of Water and Environment in Yemen's internationally recognised government Tawfiq Al-Sharjabi on Friday called on the United Nations Security Council to change its way of dealing with the Houthis over the Safer oil tanker.
The condition of the decaying tanker is alarming, he said.
The tanker, moored off the Yemeni western coast with more than 1.1 million barrels of crude oil on board, has not had maintenance since 2015. It is facing the risk of explosion or sinking, raising concerns over an imminent environmental, humanitarian and economic catastrophe in Yemrn and nearby countries.
The arrival of UN experts to assess the tanker is no longer enough, Al-Sharjabi said, pointing out that addressing the issue now requires unloading the crude oil on board the tanker.
On Friday, the UNSC said the Houthis will be completely responsible for the environmental and economic crisis if an oil spill occurs.
The UN says the Houthis are not serious about allowing experts to access the tanker. But the Houthis blame the delayed arrival of international experts on the UN.
Al-Sharjabi said new satellite images showed the tanker has started to move from its place.
He reiterated that the government is keen to cooperate with the UN to unload the crude on board the tanker and address the issue away from the conflict.
