The “Rubymar” sank two weeks after the attack. An environmental catastrophe is now to be feared off the coast of Yemen.
Nearly two weeks after an attack by the Islamist Houthis, a cargo ship loaded with fertilizer sank off the coast of Yemen. The internationally recognized Yemeni government, based in Aden, reported on Saturday that the British-registered ship “Rubymar” sank overnight. However, according to tracking service Vesselfinder, it was flying the Belizean flag.
The US military warned of an environmental disaster a few days ago. It is believed that the “Rubymar” carried around 41 thousand tons of fertilizer. In addition, a kilometer-long oil slick was formed. The ship was seriously damaged in the attack. The crew was taken to safety and to Djibouti in the Horn of Africa.
After the start of the war in Gaza, the Islamic Houthis regularly attacked ships off the coast of Yemen. The Houthi militia, an ally of Iran, wants to force an end to Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip, bombing merchant ships in the Red Sea. The Israeli military operation is a response to the Islamic Hamas terrorist attack on October 7.
Several Western countries, including the US and Britain, are involved in operations to combat the attacks. The EU also launched a military operation to protect merchant shipping in the Red Sea, in which Germany participates with the frigate “Hessen”. The sea route through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal is one of the most important trade routes in the world. Due to Houthi attacks, major shipping lines are increasingly avoiding the shorter sea link between Asia and Europe – with significant effects on the global economy.