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Yemen: High stakes UN operation underway to avert catastrophic oil spill

“This is a particularly compelling time to be the Resident Coordinator for a small island state like Mauritius. Since my arrival here in 2022, I have experienced examples of extreme weather conditions such as flooding and cyclones on the one hand and water shortages on the other. This visible effect of climate change combined with our geographical remoteness, small scale of economies, and high import costs have grave consequences for our island’s food security. It has gained greater momentum since the COVID-19 pandemic and Ukraine war-related supply and commodity shocks, raising strong preoccupations with food security as a key to the sustainable economic transformation agenda. Food systems have emerged not only as an agricultural challenge but as a game-changer to catalyse results across multiple SDGs. The upcoming event in Italy provides an opportunity for Mauritius to focus on the way forward to accelerate the transformative power of food systems.

Food production must be viewed across sectors and not in isolation. Water and energy are direct inputs at all stages of the food value chain, while natural resources, ecosystems, and their services underpin the security of these inputs.

In his opening remarks, UN General Assembly President Csaba Kőrösi called for “unshakable solidarity with Africa”, both from within the continent and from the international community.

“Solidarity based on the understanding that the prosperity of our world, and the security on our globe can never be complete without sustainability in Africa,” he said. UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed noted that despite international agreements, commitment to financing for development has been limited due to internal and external factors.

“From the point of view of internal factors, the lack of efficient and transparent mechanisms to support revenue administrations and public financial management results in hundreds of billions lost every year in illicit financial flows and inefficiencies,” she said.

“From the external perspective, internal factors are compounded by an unfair international financial architecture that keeps African countries in a marginal position, making them more vulnerable to debt distress,” she added. She highlighted how challenges in resource mobilization limit African countries from being able to undertake the massive investments needed in energy access and other critical areas.

“As the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted, energy is an essential component for achieving resilience. And resilience is indispensable to ensure the sustainability of development efforts,” she said.

UNDP warned that a massive spill from the Safer would destroy swathes of marine life in the Red Sea. Speaking to reporters in Geneva, spokesperson Sarah Bel expressed concern for the fishing communities on Yemen’s Red Coast, already living in a crisis-wracked situation, as a spill would like ‘wipe out 200,000 livelihoods instantly” and “fish stock would take twenty five years to recover.”

Describing the operation as the first of its kind, she exercised caution during this “emergency phase” but assured reporters that everything had been put in place to “secure success.”

The FSO Safer has been moored some 4.8 nautical miles southwest of the Ras Issa peninsula on Yemen’s west coast for more than 30 years. In 2015, production and the maintenance of the tanker stopped due to the eight year conflict between a pro-Government Saudi-led coalition, and Houthi rebels. As a result, the vessel is now beyond repair.

Syria still mired in division, top UN envoy tells Security Council

“I hope they will soon, because if not, it will be another missed opportunity to help the Syrian conflict to come to a negotiated end, at a time when the impact of the crisis is deepening,” Geir Pedersen said, briefing the Security Council.

While there had been positive humanitarian gestures following the devastating earthquakes in February, it was disappointing that the UN cross-border relief operations which provoked a Russian veto and a failure to agree any resolution two weeks ago, could not be extended, he told ambassadors.

“How are the Syrians meant to believe that some broader progress is possible, and how are they meant to be encouraged to overcome their own deep differences, if consensus on humanitarian basics among international parties is elusive?”

Five foreign armies

“Syria remains territorially divided with Syrian society too divided on many issues”, Mr. Pedersen said, informing of the presence of five foreign armies within the country.

“This month saw airstrikes attributed to Israel, reports of Turkish drone strikes, reports of pro-Government airstrikes north of Aleppo, and the US saying it carried out drone strikes on an ISIL leader near al-Bab.”

Civilians continue to be injured and killed, amid violent clashes, regular exchanges of mortar, rocket and artillery fire across northeast and northwest Syria, he added.the war.