A tripartite meeting of the government, the United Nations and the Netherlands was held in the Yemeni temporary capital, Aden, on Friday, to discuss the status of the Safer oil tank, and efforts to initiate the implementation of the first phase of the United Nations plan to empty and maintain the tank to avoid a global environmental disaster.

The meeting was attended by the Yemeni Prime Minister, Maeen Abdulmalik, the Dutch Minister of Foreign Trade and International Cooperation Lisge Schreinmacher, and the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen, David Grisley.

urgent plan

According to the official Yemeni news agency, he dealt with practical steps to solve the problem of the Safer oil tank and joint coordination, to mobilize international efforts to cover the funding gap for the UN plan for the maintenance and unloading of the tank, which would start its implementation according to an urgent time plan, to avoid the catastrophic environmental, marine and humanitarian risks posed by the tank. In the event of a collapse.

For his part, the Yemeni Prime Minister stressed that the issue of the Safer oil tank is one of the most important issues and represents a real threat to the environment of the Red Sea, and the lives and sources of livelihood of millions of Yemenis and in the countries bordering the Red Sea. He indicated that the collapse or explosion of the reservoir would be catastrophic, beyond any environmental disaster.

 In the history of mankind, it will affect the international shipping lanes in the Gulf of Aden and the Bab al-Mandab Strait all the way to the Suez Canal.. Pointing out that the cost of treating environmental damage only will be tens of billions of dollars and will take long decades.

Fears of Houthi intransigence
He also expressed his hope that the funding gap for the first phase would be covered, and that the United Nations wouldbegin implementing the first phase of the plan in the near future, before entering the wind and hurricane season, which would affect the work of the implementing company, hoping that this plan would not be faced with new intransigence by the Houthi militia. As it has been happening for years.

In turn, the Dutch Minister of Foreign Trade and International Cooperation confirmed her country's interest in the issue of the Safer oil tank, sensing the catastrophic risks of any leakage or explosion of the tank, and that they share the Yemeni government's concerns about the repercussions of this not only on Yemen but on the region.

Safer tank hazards

She also confirmed her country's continuation in mobilizing efforts to finance the entire plan and to unload and maintain the oil reservoir in accordance with the plan prepared by the United Nations.

For his part, the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen pointed to the important strides that have been made in solving the problem of the Safer oil reservoir, noting the existing cooperation with the Yemeni government in this aspect and his confidence in the success of the United Nations plan to prevent the danger of the oil reservoir.