UN / YEMEN OIL TANKER UPDATE

A United Nations spokesperson said the UN has encountered “some new delays” in accessing the FSO SAFER tanker, stranded off the coast of Yemen, “after recent additional requests from the Houthis.” UNIFEED

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:01:49
• Production Date: 24 February 2021
• Asset Language: English
• Personal Subject: STEPHANE DUJARRIC
• Corporate Name: SECRETARIAT
• Subject Topical: CONFLICT SITUATION; ENVIRONMENTAL EMERGENCIES; OIL PRODUCTION
• Geographic Subject: YEMEN
• MAMS Id: 2604377
• Parent Id: 2604377
• Alternate Title: unifeed210224h

Description

STORY: UN / YEMEN OIL TANKER UPDATE
TRT: 01:49
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 24 FEBRUARY 2021, NEW YORK CITY / RECENT

Shotlist

RECENT - NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, United Nations Headquarters

24 FEBRUARY 2021, NEW YORK CITY

2. Wide shot, spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric walks up to podium
3. Med shot, journalists
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, United Nations:
“Unfortunately, the UN has encountered some new delays after recent additional requests from the Houthis, who also refer to themselves as Ansar Allah. And those additional requests focus on logistics and security arrangements. We are talking to them now to try to resolve these issues. Because of this, it’s now difficult to say exactly when the mission could be deployed given these developments. Unfortunately, we cannot finalize mission preparations until all of the issues are resolved. Those discussions are ongoing. We understand that many Member States, including donors to the project, are extremely concerned by these new delays. We of course share those concerns.”
5. Med shot, journalists
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, United Nations:
“You know, by the grace of god there has not been a major leak. The more we wait the chances of a major leak are increasing. You know, time is not on anyone’s side. And it’s not the Houthis, who also refer to themselves as Ansar Allah about us, it’s about the devastating environmental impact that it would have on the region. If there was a major leak, first of all the port of Hodeida would be closed. Hodeida is a major lifeline for that area of Yemen in terms of importing food and commercial goods. One can only imagine the devastating ecological impact it would have on the region, on countries surrounding Yemen bordering the Red Sea, who rely, and whose population rely on the Red Sea for fishing and for tourism.”
7. Wide shot, Dujarric at the podium

Storyline

A United Nations spokesperson today (24 Feb) said the UN has encountered “some new delays” in accessing the FSO SAFER tanker, stranded off the coast of Yemen, “after recent additional requests from the Houthis.”

The spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, said “those additional requests focus on logistics and security arrangements” and the organization is in discussions with the Houthis, who also refer to themselves as Ansar Allah, “to try to resolve these issues.”

Dujarric said “it’s now difficult to say exactly when the mission could be deployed given these developments. Unfortunately, we cannot finalize mission preparations until all of the issues are resolved. Those discussions are ongoing.”

The spokesperson said, “the more we wait the chances of a major leak are increasing,” adding that “if there was a major leak, first of all the port of Hodeida would be closed. Hodeida is a major lifeline for that area of Yemen in terms of importing food and commercial goods. One can only imagine the devastating ecological impact it would have on the region, on countries surrounding Yemen bordering the Red Sea, who rely, and whose population rely on the Red Sea for fishing and for tourism.”

There are about 1.1 million barrels of oil onboard the ship. The mission will provide the assessment needed to formulate a permanent solution.