“What we have been told is that the increase in the cost of a very large oil (tanker) is more than 50 percent of the original cost,” Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, told a news briefing. Thursday.
He said that the additional cost is about $ 20 million, noting that “this is an approximate number.”
“We are trying and we are also seeking some support from other shareholders to get the necessary funds,” he added.
Xinhua reported that the Safer ship, which is currently carrying more than one million barrels of oil, has been moored off the port of Hodeidah since 1988 as a platform for storing and unloading crude oil.
The United Nations has warned that the decaying tanker poses an environmental and humanitarian threat.
Earlier this week, Haq told reporters that donors had pledged more than $84 million in funding needed for the UN-coordinated plan to prevent a major Safer oil spill, with more funding expected from the private sector soon.
He pointed out that the main challenge facing the emergency process of transferring oil from the decaying tanker to a safe ship to start is the purchase of a very large crude tanker to take over the oil.
“The UN is working expeditiously with a maritime mediator and other partners to find a workable solution and remains confident that work can begin in the coming months,” Haq said.
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