The Minister of Water and Environment in the internationally recognized Yemeni government, Tawfiq al-Sharjabi, announced today, Tuesday, that strong winds and waves have swept the cargo ship Rubimar, which was hit by two missiles fired by the Houthis on February 18 in the southern Red Sea, causing damage to the vessel. Al-Sharjabi added to Reuters that the overall condition of the ship is "very concerning, and water is flowing into the engine room rapidly, after it had been flowing slowly... leading the ship to tilt toward the engines about 16 miles from the Yemeni port of Mocha after it had been 18 miles away."
Al-Sharjabi confirmed that a specialized technical team visited the Rubimar yesterday, Monday, and observed small oil patches floating on the surrounding waters with part of the ship submerged. The Yemeni Minister of Water and Environment warned that the ship is at risk of sinking completely if immediate action is not taken to salvage it, remove the water, restore its balance, and tow it to the nearest repair center ashore.
He stated that the targeted ship is "171 meters long and 27 meters wide, with bulk tanks carrying 22,000 tons of fertilizers (hazardous materials) and 120 tons of diesel and fuel oil." He noted that the Yemeni government is currently negotiating with the ship's owner and operating company to take the necessary measures to contract with specialized international maritime companies to carry out the salvage operation and tow the ship to the nearest safe shore for repairs.
He explained, "We are still in the consultation phase and hope that the government's efforts will succeed in saving the ship, which is indeed in a dangerous situation." He confirmed that the country of Belize, under whose flag the ship sails, as well as the ship's owner, bear full legal responsibility for any damage that may occur to the marine environment.
