Oil Leaks and Toxic Emissions Worsen Yemen Pollution Crisis

As of early Wednesday, parts of the port continued to burn after an overnight oil tank explosion. The Conflict and Environment Observatory (CEOBS), a UK charity monitoring conflict-induced environmental impacts, highlighted the severe consequences: “The fire and associated spills will have generated hazardous emissions to the air and substantial ground contamination with Pollution to the marine environment likely.”

Yemen, already grappling with severe air and water Pollution after nearly a decade of war, faces compounded environmental degradation. Mwatana for Human Rights, a Yemeni group, reported a “large oil spill from the burning fuel tanks into the sea,” warning of widespread marine Pollution due to the large quantities of fuel stored.

Wim Zwijnenburg of the Dutch peace-building group PAX estimated tens of thousands of liters of oil burning, creating “noxious fumes” and posing serious health risks. Satellite imagery from the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-2 revealed localized spills into the harbor’s marine environment, destroying most of the port’s oil storage capacity.

The environmental fallout extends beyond immediate pollution. Yemen’s rich marine ecosystem, including coral reefs, and the livelihoods of coastal communities dependent on fishing are at risk. Farah Al Hattab of Greenpeace Middle East emphasized, “Coastal Pollution from the strikes on Hodeida port potentially affects millions of people whose livelihood depends on fishing.”

Recent Houthi attacks on vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden have exacerbated the Pollution crisis. A Liberia-flagged oil tanker leaked fuel in the Red Sea following a Houthi strike, creating a 220-kilometer-long oil slick threatening the Farasan marine sanctuary. CEOBS estimated the spill at 500 barrels (79,000 liters), posing risks to corals and marine ecosystems.

Further chemical pollutants threaten Yemen’s waters. In March, the sinking of the Belize-flagged Rubymar, carrying 21,000 tonnes of ammonium phosphate sulfate fertilizer, raised concerns over potential leaks of fuel and chemicals into the Red Sea, endangering marine life and coral reefs.

Efforts to prevent environmental catastrophes continue, but the recurring incidents underscore the challenges. Last year, the UN averted an immediate disaster by transferring oil from the decaying FSO Safer supertanker, preventing a potential spill of over a million barrels of crude oil. However, the ongoing conflict poses persistent threats to Yemen’s environment and its people.

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