RIYADH: The US ambassador to Yemen said Washington is ready to help in solving the crisis of an abandoned oil tanker at risk of exploding in the Red Sea.
Ambassador Christopher Hensel said the US is keen on helping given that the FSO Safer poses such a threat.
Speaking during a meeting with the Yemeni foriegn minister, he also expressed his appreciation to the efforts by the Yemeni government to reach stability in the region.
With 1.1 million barrels of crude on board, the Safer is deteriorating badly and could rupture at any time, with disastrous results for Red Sea marine life, UN and other experts have warned.
The 45-year-old ship is anchored off the port of Hodeidah under the control of the Iran-backed Houthi militia, which initially blocked UN efforts to send a team of experts to assess its condition.
Sources on Sunday told AFP that the Houthis gave UN inspectors the green light to inspect the decaying tanker.
The UN Security Council will hold a special meeting on Wednesday to discuss the crisis, after water entered the vessel's engine room “which could have led to disaster,” UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on Friday.
*With AFP
