Inside the ‘Impossible’ Deal That Averted an Environmental Disaster in Yemen | The Negotiators

The FSO Safer, a ship that had been used for decades to store oil in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen, began falling into disrepair after it was abandoned at the outset of Yemen’s civil war in 2014. The vessel was in Houthi controlled territory, which made it impossible for the UN to facilitate inspections or repairs. By 2020, there was growing alarm that the ship would break apart, spilling more than a million barrels of oil in the sea and setting off an environmental and humanitarian disaster.

This episode features David Gressly, former UN resident coordinator and humanitarian coordinator for Yemen, who negotiated with Houthi leaders and the Yemen government to allow the transfer of oil to another vessel. David also led the fundraising effort and supervised the transfer of oil in 2023. But the job is not yet done. Plans to tow and scrap the ship have been delayed due to renewed political tensions.

The Negotiators is a podcast from Doha Debates, @Foreign-Policy — and a special partner this season, @ipinst .

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