Millions pledged for oil transfer from tanker off Yemen

By EDITH M. LEDERER
Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Donors have pledged an additional $5.6 million dollars that will enable the United Nations to start transferring more than 1 million barrels of crude oil from a rusting tanker off the coast of war-torn Yemen that poses a major environmental threat to another vessel. But the U.N. said nearly $24 million is still needed to offload all the oil. U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq welcomed the new funding from Thursday’s virtual pledging event. He said a large vessel called the Nautica purchased by the U.N. to take on the oil is expected to arrive in the region in the coming days and the transfer operation from the FSO Safer tanker is expected to start before the end of the month.