Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps his Department is taking to prevent pollution from the transport of barrels of oil along the coast of Hodeidah.

The UK remains concerned by the environmental risk posed by the by the Safer oil tanker, currently moored off Hodeidah. As Sir Mark Lowcock, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, recently remarked to the UN Security Council, if the tanker ruptures or explodes it could cause a ‘disaster’ for the environment, shipping lanes and global economy.

The UK continues to engage with the UN and Saudi Arabia on the issue, following Saudi Arabia’s funding of a UN assessment mission. The UK calls on the Houthis to facilitate safe and rapid access to the Safer oil tanker so that the UN can carry out this vital work.