To mark World Ocean Day, the Department of State is working with Congress to provide $10 million in support of the UN plan to address the imminent threat to the Red Sea ecosystem from the FSO Safer in Yemen. An oil spill or leak would cost the world billions to clean up, devastate Red Sea marine life, impede global commerce in a major international waterway, destroy the livelihoods of those that depend on fisheries, and worsen an already critical humanitarian situation in Yemen. We must work to prevent this.
The UN needs $80 million for an initial emergency operation to transfer the Safer’s oil to a more secure vessel. We thank donors that have already come forward. Today’s U.S. pledge gets us closer to our goal. We call on the private sector and other governments that have a stake in this vital waterway to come forward now and deliver urgently needed funding.