In the open Red Sea off the coast of Yemen, the Ruby Mar ship is teetering on the verge of sinking, warning of an environmental disaster that threatens the biodiversity of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

That ship, which once carried hope across international waters, is now struggling to remain on the surface of the sea, and with it the marine environment is struggling to survive a potential disaster more serious than what the “Safer” oil ship represented.

A devastating disaster

Near Hanish Island, where Ruby Mar was left alone after being hit by Houthi terrorist militia missiles, causing severe damage to her right side, she began to stagger.

Although the crew was rescued to Djibouti, the ship was left to face its fate alone, with water seeping into its bowels, threatening to swallow it whole in less than 48 hours, according to a Yemeni team that visited the ship on Monday.

The danger is not limited to the ship only, but extends to all marine life, as the ship carries more than 41 thousand tons of dangerous fertilizers, which, if leaked, will pose a direct threat to marine life, the surrounding islands, and fish wealth.

The oils leaking from the ship began to form an oil slick extending 18 nautical miles, floating on top of the water, surrounding the ship and threatening to turn the Red Sea into a black lake.

The legitimate government is struggling to prevent this disaster from occurring amid a complete lack of capabilities, and appeals to the international community for urgent intervention.

The government formed a crisis management cell and then sent a request to summon the ship’s owner and work to tow it outside Yemeni territorial waters, although the request seems impossible to implement given the short period of time when the ship can be saved.

But what is hoped for is concerted international efforts, as the cell communicated with regional and international bodies to preserve the environment of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, and requested urgent assistance to avoid the imminent environmental disaster.

With regard to the crime committed by the Houthi militias, the Director of Military Information for the Joint Forces, Abdel Nasser Al-Mamlouh, said that the Houthi militias are implementing Iran’s agenda without regard to the environmental consequences.

Al-Mamlouh stressed, in a statement to Al-Ain News, the necessity of finding quick solutions to save the Red Sea from a potential environmental disaster and also save it from the dangers of Houthi piracy.

He adds that this disaster is not just a reminder of the dangers of the Houthi militia’s survival, but rather a cry for help to take action before it is too late. It is also a call to the world to view the Red Sea as a global heritage through which world trade passes and must be preserved.

The Yemeni Minister of Water and Environment, Engineer Tawfiq Al-Sharjabi, expressed his deep concern about the current situation of the “Rubimar” cargo ship, stressing that the government is working hard to avoid an environmental disaster, as the damaged ship is currently located in the Red Sea at a distance of 11 miles from the Yemeni coast. .

During a press conference held on Monday, the minister explained that the ship, which was operated by a shipping company registered in the Marshall Islands, was carrying dangerous materials, including fertilisers, oils and fuel. He warned of the serious environmental and economic risks that could result from an oil spill or shipwreck, which could lead to the displacement of coastal residents and the destruction of the livelihoods of thousands of fishermen.