Houthis agree to give UN access to abandoned tanker

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Yemen, Houthi, UN, tanker, Safer, New York
The FSO Safer tanker moored off Ras Issa port in Yemen

New York - UN Security Council to hold a meeting on July 15 to discuss the Safer tanker issue

By Reuters

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Published: Mon 13 Jul 2020, 1:48 PM

Last updated: Tue 25 Aug 2020, 6:51 PM

Yemen's Houthi movement has agreed to provide the United Nations access to a stranded oil tanker that risks causing an environmental disaster off the coast of the war-divided country, two UN sources familiar with the matter said.
The UN earlier this week said it was extremely concerned after water entered the engine room of Safer tanker, which carries 1.1 million barrels of crude oil and has been stranded off the Red Sea oil terminal of Ras Issa for over five years.
The sources said that the Iran-aligned Houthi group, which controls the port, sent a letter approving the deployment of a UN technical team to the tanker.
The United Nations is also discussing with Yemen's warring parties about arranging the sale of the crude and dividing proceeds between Yemen's Saudi-backed government and the Houthi group that ousted it from power in the capital, Sanaa, in late 2014.
The UN Security Council is scheduled to hold a meeting on Wednesday to discuss the Safer tanker issue which has been mired in disputes over control of ports and revenues.


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