"CAIRO — The U.N. environment chief said Wednesday that “time is running out” to avert an environmental, economic and humanitarian catastrophe from a deteriorating oil tanker loaded with 1.1 million barrels of crude oil that is moored off the coast of Yemen.

Inger Andersen told the U.N. Security Council that an oil spill from the FSO Safer, which hasn’t been maintained for over five years, would wreck ecosystems and livelihoods for decades.

“Prevention of such a crisis from precipitating is really the only option,” she said. “Despite the difficult operational context, no effort should be spared to first conduct a technical assessment and initial light repairs.”"

Samy Maggdy reports for the Associated Press July 15, 2020. [2]