In a nutshell:Since 2019, the United Nations has warned that the abandoned vessel Safer, which holds a million gallons of crude oil, could release its polluting cargo at any time, and that it is vulnerable to terrorist attacks. A massive release of oil could pollute the Red Sea for decades, even centuries, Rahim reports. But the war in Yemen prevented any action to secure the tanker, which is owned by the Yemeni national petroleum company SEPOC, until May. Let’s be very clear,” Achim Steiner, administrator of the United Nations Development Programme, said in May. It shows the vulnerability of the industry in conflict zones, and the dismissive attitude of politicians toward the environment, particularly during times of war.

Source: CNN July 27, 2023 19:45 UTC