The Rubymar, owned by the UK and previously targeted by Houthi militants, has reportedly submerged in the Red Sea, as announced by Yemen’s internationally recognized government on 2nd March, Reuters highlights.
If verified, this would mark the initial loss of a ship since the Houthis initiated their attacks on commercial shipping in November. Consequently, shipping companies have been compelled to reroute vessels along the extended and more costly path around southern Africa.
A Yemeni government delegation inspected the partially submerged Belize-flagged cargo ship Rubymar, revealing it had sunk in the southern Red Sea on Friday night, as per a government statement on Saturday.
Despite a request, the United States Navy’s Fifth Fleet has not promptly confirmed the sinking. The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency reported a ship sinking without specifying.
The U.S. military had previously stated that the vessel, carrying over 41,000 tons of fertilizer, suffered significant damage in the attack, resulting in an 18-mile oil slick. Yemen’s Foreign Minister, Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak, described the sinking as an unprecedented environmental catastrophe. The internationally recognized government is headquartered in Aden, while the Houthis have controlled the north and other major areas since the commencement of the conflict in 2014.
Ali Al-Sawalmih, Director of the Marine Science Station at the University of Jordan, has warned that the discharge of approximately 41,000 tons of fertilizer into the Red Sea poses a significant danger to marine ecosystems.
As explained, the excess nutrients may trigger the overgrowth of algae, depleting oxygen levels to the extent that conventional marine life cannot endure, a phenomenon known as eutrophication.
An urgent plan should be adopted by countries of the Red Sea to establish monitoring agenda of the polluted areas in the Red Sea as well as adopt a cleanup strategy.
..he said.
Sinking of Motor Vessel⁰Rubymar Risks Environmental⁰Damage
On Mar. 2 at approximately 2:15 a.m., MV Rubymar, a Belize-flagged, UK-owned bulk carrier, sank in the Red Sea after being struck by an Iranian-backed Houthi terrorist anti-ship ballistic missile on Feb. 18.
The ship… pic.twitter.com/fRUM4ll4cY
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 3, 2024
