(Sana’a) 13 August 2023
Holm Akhdar welcomes the completion of oil transfer from FSO Safer, and calls on UN to proceed to the final solution of this crisis
Holm Akhdar welcomes the success of the United Nations plan to transfer 1,148 million barrels of oil from the FSO Safer supertanker to the replacement vessel “Yemen”, which took place on Friday, August 11, 2023. It is an effective step that has contributed to sparing Yemen’s marine environment and the Red Sea region the risk of oil spills, and preventing an ecological disaster that has been awaiting.
The Safer crisis, which has been a local and global challenge for 8 years, reflected today in a pivotal moment for collective international cooperation in responding to environmental crises, which was flexibly embodied in the solidarity of 24 donor countries and a number of private sector companies, contributing $ 121.2 million to the United Nations to finance Safer’s rescue operation that was finally carried out in a safe manner.
We hope that the United Nations will proceed to the final solution of this crisis through its channels with the parties concerned, including local authorities and oil companies that own the “Safer” shipment, to speed up the sale of the huge oil cargo, which has been stagnant off the Yemeni coast since 2015.
At Holm Akhdar, we are optimistic about this joint cooperation, which embodies a worthy picture of environmental peace. We appreciate all these collective efforts that have been crowned with a major local and international response by the authorities, the Yemeni private sector, the United Nations agencies, the governments of donor countries and the international community as a whole.
We hereby extend our thanks and appreciation to the forgotten heroes who spared the Red Sea the biggest environmental disaster the planet would have ever seen, the local maintenance workers (9 maintenance workers), who have been aboard the FSO Safer tanker since 2015. With simple equipment, they were able to fill in the holes in the tanker in 2020, and thanks to all the Safer team.
Sincere thanks also extended to the Yemeni businessman Fathi Fahem, the Chairman of Fahim Trading Group, who convinced all parties to sign FSO Safer rescue agreement.
Besides, thanks and appreciation to Hayel Saeed Anam Group, which reacted responsibly to the Safer rescue campaign. Let’s not forget to thank the Ambassador of the Netherlands Peter Derrek, who rushed the rescue operation of “FSO Safer” when efforts were faltering. Also, thanks to the Dutch rescue team Boskalis, the local authorities and the United Nations team.
The Role of Holm Akhdar in Responding to the Safer Crisis
Years ago, when the FSO Safer crisis was unknown and unseen to the world, Holm Akhdar team embarked on a long journey warning all local and international parties of the danger of FSO Safer remaining unaddressed.
Early on, Holm Akhdar was the first to report a seawater leak in Safer’s engine room. We explained to the world press the magnitude of the potential environmental and economic cost in the event of an oil spill from the FSO Safer tanker. More than 52 global and regional news agencies reacted to Holm Akhdar warnings and circulated them on their websites.
During the period: (2019-2023), Holm Akhdar produced more than 35 professional contents with reliable information, including the opinions of local experts in reports, videos, infographics, and photos.
Since 2020, Holm Akhdar has also carried out an awareness campaign for local communities on how to act in the event of an oil spill and broadcasted via local radio and radios in 6 governorates in the north and south of the country.
Holm Akhdar team participated in many seminars and conferences with Greenpeace MENA warning of the consequences of a potential disaster and stressing the need to neutralize the FSO Safer crisis from the ongoing state of war and conflict, as a necessitated principle of environmental justice and the common destiny of the peoples in the region.
