In an interesting turn of events, the United Nations Development Programme has purchased a crude oil carrier ship in the hope of using it to remove an estimated 1.14 million barrels of oil from a stricken and decaying vessel off the coast of Yemen.

The FSO Safer has been abandoned with its cargo since the start of the Yemeni civil war in 2015, undergoing no maintenance, and the risk has accordingly been growing that the oil may catch fire and/or leak, creating one of the worst oil spills for years. The UN has been looking for a solution for a considerable period, and has estimated a cost of US$129 million to carry out the rescue operation, of which US$75 million has been raised and another US$20 million pledged. Further funding is therefore required for the project to be undertaken, which could occur in May, when the newly purchased tanker completes maintenance of its own. Achim Steiner of the UNDP told reporters that “this is a risky operation and things could go wrong”.

The Yemeni civil war has cost an estimated 150,000 lives to date, and left more than 23 million people in need of aid, as the BBC reports.