UN Launches Crowdfunding Campaign In Millions To Prevent Major Disaster From Decaying Oil Tanker

June 14, 2022

The United Nations (UN) began a social media campaign on Monday to bring the globe closer to stopping an oil spill from an aging FSO moored off Yemen from wreaking calamity for the area and beyond. The aim is to generate enough money to begin the $80 million emergency transfer of oil from the FSO Safer to a temporary vessel.

The FSO Safer is anchored off the coast of Yemen and holds over a million barrels of oil. The tanker is beyond repair, and there is a risk that it could explode or break apart shortly. It is one of the world’s largest tankers, measuring 376 meters in length and carrying almost four times the amount of crude oil spilled in the 1989 Exxon Valdez catastrophe off the coast of Alaska.

The Safer has been moored just a few miles off the coast of Yemen for more than 30 years, but dumping and maintenance were halted in 2015 due to the fighting between the pro-government coalition and Houthi rebels.

The UN is prepared to carry out the emergency rescue mission, but the transfer operation is being postponed because of a lack of finance. Following Saudi Arabia’s announcement of a $10 million donation this week, around three-quarters of the needed funds have been received. The US is also working on a $10 million gift.

David Gressly, the United Nations (UN) Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen, has started a crowdfunding drive to raise $5 million in individual donations by the end of this month so that work may begin in July. The transfer is part of a $144 million two-track proposal that also includes the installation of a replacement vessel for the FSO Safer.

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