EU welcomes oil transfer from decaying ship in Red Sea

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

GENEVA (AA) – The EU on Saturday welcomed the completion of oil transfer from the decaying ship FSO Safer in the Red Sea waters off the Yemeni coast.

“The successful transfer of the estimated 1.14 million barrels of light crude oil is key to averting an imminent environmental disaster in Yemen and the Red Sea,” Peter Stano, lead spokesperson for foreign affairs, said in a statement.

Stano underlined that the successful operation is an indication that cooperation is possible among the conflicting parties, along with UN coordination and Yemen's international partners.

The EU, he said, has provided €3 million (nearly $3.3 million) in support of the UN-coordinated plan to address the environmental threat posed by the FSO Safer tanker in the Red Sea.

The FSO Safer oil tanker, a floating storage and offloading unit, is located in the water 60 kilometers (37 miles) north of the port of Hudaydah. It has been used for storing and exporting oil from sites in the oil-rich central province of Marib.

Controlled by Houthi rebels, the decaying tanker with over 1 million barrels of crude oil lacked maintenance since 2015.