New York, 11 August 2023
The following statement was issued today by the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:
The Secretary-General welcomes the news that the ship-to-ship transfer of oil from the FSO Safer to the Yemen replacement vessel has been safely concluded today, avoiding what could have been a monumental environmental and humanitarian catastrophe.
The Secretary-General reaffirms the United Nations commitment to successfully complete this project, including through the delivery of a specialized buoy to which the replacement vessel will be safely and securely tethered. He expresses his gratitude to the Yemeni authorities whose support has been critical to its success. Additional funding will be needed to finish the project and remove any remaining environmental threat to the Red Sea.
The Secretary-General thanks the many countries, corporate and philanthropic donors as well as ordinary citizens who contributed funding for the project.
The Secretary-General urges donors to contribute funds at this crucial time to conclude this operation.
Source – UN
US: Statement from National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on successful transfer of oil from tanker in Red Sea
Washington, D.C., 11 August 2023
Today, the UN completed the offloading of over one million barrels of crude oil from the FSO Safer, an ageing supertanker moored off the Yemeni coast in the Red Sea – averting an oil spill that would have caused major environmental, economic, and humanitarian damage. Last year the United States – spearheaded by U.S. Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking – mobilized an international coalition to fund the operation. The United States thanks UN Resident Coordinator for Yemen David Gressly and the UN Development Programme for their leadership and successful execution of this complex mission. The Safer served as a floating offshore terminal for Yemeni oil exports until 2014, when the Yemen conflict halted exports and maintenance of the vessel. Years of neglect put the ship at risk of an imminent spill that would have damaged the entire Red Sea region and beyond. We urge donors to mobilize the additional funds needed to complete the final steps of the full operation to address all residual environmental threats.
Source – The White House