Houthi attacks in the Red Sea threaten lives, environment

According to the U.S. Central Command, or CENTCOM, the freighter Rubymar, which sank earlier in March after it was attacked by the Houthi militia in mid-February, has already caused an oil spill of some 29 kilometers in length. (18 miles).

So far, there is no final assessment of the environmental damage the attacks are causing.But it it’s possible that more than 7,000 barrels of oil and 22,000 tonnes of ammonium phosphate fertilizer on board the Rubymar will end up in the water, according to maritime safety expert Ian Ralby.Despite the unclear scale of the disaster, experts already agree that the consequences would be devastating. A large oil slick would affect the desalination plants that supply the entire region with drinking water, and the fish population could also be hit, Ralby said in his podcast “Blue Security.” This would have a huge impact on local fishing. Due to the strong currents in the narrow strait, the oil slick could be carried even further. (DW)

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