Since the outbreak of the conflict in Yemen, the FSO Safer, an oil tanker converted into a floating storage and offloading facility (FSO), had been abandoned. Moored in the Red Sea, 4.8 miles north of the Yemeni city of Al Hudaydah, the tanker was designated “out-of-class” since 2016. It did not receive proper maintenance and suffered extensive deterioration, leading various environmentalists to refer to it as a “floating bomb” with potential for a massive oil spill. Inert gas on the ship that normally inhibits an explosion had dissipated. The risk was significant of it exploding and causing an environmental disaster with unparalleled public health impacts and devastating economic and environmental effects.

Find full fact sheet here: