FSO Safer has been stranded off the coast of Yemen since 2015. It was abandoned off the port of Hodeida when civil war broke out. The supertanker is carrying 1.1 million barrels. The ship is in danger of breaking up and causing a huge environmental disaster in the Red Sea. Negotiations to offload the tanker have gone nowhere. Finally, the UN stepped into the breach and purchased a crude carrier to travel to Yemen and offload the stricken supertanker. FSO Safer has not been maintained since it was abandoned due to the war. The huge supertanker is 1,223 ft. long. [photo credit: Getty Images]
The UN purchased its ship from Euronav. The vessel is in China undergoing routine maintenance and is expected to arrive on site by May. A major spill could devastate the Red Sea fishing industry in a country already suffering immense privations from its long-running conflict. 23 million people are estimated to be in need of aid. UN said the operation to off-load the crude will cost in the neighborhood of $129 million. A potential oil spill clean up is estimated to cost $20 billion. A UN spokesperson warned reporters that the operation would be risky and could fail. The transfer of oil would be suspended if not enough funds are raised to cover the costs. About $75 million in donations have been received so far.