Sanaa August 26, : A Yemeni conglomerate has announced that it will contribute $1.2 million to fund the salvage effort to pump oil out of the 45-year-old Safer tanker, which is slowly deteriorating off the coast of Yemen.The offer from HSA Group cuts to $16 million the amount required by the US to finance the operation to salvage the wreck, which was estimated at $80 million according to the news agency dpa.
“It could be a colossal ecological catastrophe” If the Safer were to split into pieces, HSA chief executive Nabil Hayel Saeed anam said.
“A catastrophe of the magnitude that is predicted by the UN could have a devastating effect on Yemen.It would worsen the world’s most devastating humanitarian crisis and put millions at risk with hunger, and ruin the livelihoods of millions,” he added.
Thetanker holds nearly four times the amount of oil than the Exxon Valdez that ran aground off Alaska in 1989 and caused a catastrophic environmental catastrophe.
The Safer’s oil tank Safer is scheduled to be transferred to another ship.
The Safer storage facility, which is used to store items was not used since the civil conflict in Yemen started in 2015.
There are fears that it could break apart or explode.
The environmental consequences and fisheries could be devastating and commercial shipping would be affected.
The UN has raised funds for a rescue operation, however the cash isn’t enough.
The HSA Group conglomerate is one of the largest companies in Yemen, with over 50 subsidiaries in food and construction, household items as well as the automotive industry and finance.
