Vessel to remove oil from stricken Yemen tanker could arrive by May

Yemen: UN concludes removal of one million barrels of oil from decaying tanker

UN Secretary-General António Guterres welcomed the news of the successful transfer of oil aboard the FSO Safer to a replacement vessel, thus “avoiding what could have been a monumental environmental and humanitarian catastrophe.” The FSO Safer was built as a supertanker in 1976 and converted a decade later into what is in effect a floating…

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Yemen: High stakes UN operation underway to avert catastrophic oil spill

Yemen: High stakes UN operation underway to avert catastrophic oil spill

The 19-day operation will pump more than one million barrels out of the rusting vessel, the Safer, which was abandoned over eight years ago, to a nearby replacement vessel. Secretary-General António Guterres said the UN has taken on the delicate operation as a spill would spell environmental catastrophe for the region. ‘Ticking time bomb’ “United…

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UN envoy reports on progress towards Yemen peace agreement

UN envoy reports on progress towards Yemen peace agreement

Ambassadors were briefed by UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg, who reported on his ongoing engagement with representatives from the internationally-recognized Government, which is backed by a Saudi-led coalition, and opposing Houthi rebels, as well as regional and international actors. Mr. Grundberg said he was encouraged by the positive and detailed discussions, noting that all interlocutors…

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