Geneva, 11 August 2023 (dpa/MIA) - An unprecedented environmental catastrophe in the Red Sea has been averted thanks to a UN-led salvage operation that pumped oil out of a decaying supertanker off the coast of war-raved Yemen.

The entire cargo of more than 160 million litres of crude oil was successfully offloaded from the wrecked FSO Safer tanker, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) said on Friday.

"We have defused a ticking time bomb," UNDP chief Achim Steiner told dpa.

The UNDP spent two years organizing and raising funds for the effort to avert an environmental disaster.

The 350-metre-long FSO Safer, which was built in 1976, has been stranded off the coast of Yemen. It had not been maintained for years and was in danger of breaking apart or exploding.

Despite the victory, the UNDP urgently needs money for the scrapping of the tanker.

The entire operation is expected to cost about $143 million. The UNDP is short by about $20 million. Germany is one of the largest donors, with a $12 million contribution.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said, "The salvage operation off Yemen's coast led by the United Nations has shown what is possible when the international community joins forces."

Steiner sharply criticized the oil and gas industry, which has so far been less than generous.

He told dpa, "The fact that oil and gas companies, which have had a record year with profits in the billions, are not in a position to contribute is embarrassing and difficult to comprehend."

If the oil escaped into the Red Sea, it would not only cause a massive spill but also likely obstruct shipping through the Suez Canal.

Photo: MIA Archive