GENEVA / SFO SAFER TANKER

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A complex maritime salvage effort started in the Red Sea off the coast of war-torn Yemen to transfer one million barrels of oil from a decaying tanker to a replacement vessel. UNTV CH
Description

STORY: GENEVA / SFO SAFER TANKER
TRT: 01:54
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 25 JULY 2023, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

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Shotlist

1. Wide shot, Palais des Nations exterior
2. Wide shot, speakers, panel, press briefing room
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Sarah Bel, Communication Advisor, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP):
“Definitely a challenging operation, both because it was technically complex because of the location of the “FSO Safer” and obviously the political context.”
4. Close up, attendee
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Sarah Bel, Communication Advisor, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP):
“We know that it would devastate fishing communities in Yemen’s Red Sea coast and likely wipe out 200,000 livelihoods instantly. So whole communities of the region would be exposed to life-threatening toxins.”
6. Med shot, mediator, attendees, screen with speakers
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Sarah Bel, Communication Advisor, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP):
“It would also close the ports of Hodeidah and Saleef, which are essential to bring food, fuel, and lifesaving supplies into Yemen, where 17 million people need food assistance.”
8. Med shot, attendees
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Sarah Bel, Communication Advisor, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP):
“The environmental impact on coral reefs, life-supporting mangroves, and other marine life would be severe, and we estimate that fish stocks would take 25 years to recover. So those are the main remarks that we have on the devastating impact this field would have.”
10. Med shot, attendee, screen with speakers
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Sarah Bel, Communication Advisor, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP):
“There's a long-term solution because we will need, after removing the oil, to tow and scrap the “Safer” and make sure that we store the oil. So, you can see this is such a complex operation. And yes, to my knowledge, this is the very first time that we deal with such a project.”
12. Med shot, mediator, attendees, screen with speakers
13. Wide shot, camera in foreground, attendees in background
14. Med shot, attendees, mediator

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Storyline

A complex maritime salvage effort started on Tuesday (25 Jul) morning in the Red Sea off the coast of war-torn Yemen to transfer one million barrels of oil from a decaying tanker to a replacement vessel.

“(It is) definitely a challenging operation, both because it was technically complex, and because of the location of the vessel Safer, and obviously the political context,” said Sarah Bel, spokesperson for the UN Development Programme (UNDP), in Geneva.

The Safer - abandoned over eight years ago - has been at risk of breaking up or exploding for years. According to UNDP, the oil aboard the Safer is being pumped into the replacement vessel Yemen (formerly Nautica) in a ship-to-ship transfer expected to take 19 days to complete.

“We know that it would devastate fishing communities in Yemen’s Red Sea coast…likely wiping out 200,000 livelihoods instantly,” Bel said.

“So whole communities of the region would be exposed to life-threatening toxins.”

The UNDP spokesperson added, “The environmental impact on coral reefs, life-supporting mangroves, and other marine life would be severe, and we estimate that fish stocks would take 25 years to recover.”

A catastrophic oil spill would likely also close the ports of Hudaydah and Saleef, “which are essential to bring food, fuel, and lifesaving supplies into Yemen, where 17 million people need food assistance”, Bel explained.

In addition, shipping on the Suez Canal could be disrupted for weeks, and a potential clean-up bill could easily run into the tens of billions of dollars, experts have warned.

Although the ship-to-ship transfer of the Safer oil is an important milestone, it is not the end of the operation.

A critical next step is arranging for the delivery of a specialized buoy to hold the replacement vessel in place safely and securely.

“There's a long-term solution because we will need, after removing the oil, to tow and scrap the Safer and make sure that we store the oil,” Bel explained.

“So, you can see this is such a complex operation…to my knowledge, this is the very first time that we deal with such a project.”

The UN will need about $20 million in funding to finish the project, which includes cleaning and scrapping the Safer and removing any remaining environmental threat to marine life.

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UNTV CH
Alternate Title
unifeed230725e
Geographic Subject
MAMS Id
3074402
Parent Id
3074402