Overview

• International team has begun siphoning over 1 million barrels of oil from the neglected SOF Safer tanker off Yemen's coast to another UN-purchased vessel.
• The deteriorating 47-year old Safer tanker has been stranded off Yemen since 2015 due to the civil war, posing risk of explosion or massive oil spill.
• UN warned an oil spill could disrupt global shipping through the Red Sea, devastate coastal communities and cost up to $20 billion.
• The risky operation is expected to take about 3 weeks to complete the oil transfer to avoid a catastrophic disaster.
• After the oil is removed, the Safer will be towed away and recycled to permanently eliminate the threat it poses.