Barran Press
The deputy governor of Aden and secretary-general of the local council, Bader Mu'awen, has expressed concern over the lack of response from the internationally recognized Yemeni government to the environmental pollution plaguing the marine environment, beaches, and coastline of Aden city. He warned of an impending environmental catastrophe due to this neglect.
Mu'awen's remarks came during a meeting with the acting head of the General Authority for Environmental Protection, Faisal Al-Tha'albi, the acting director of the authority's branch in Aden, Niazi Mustafa, and the authority's branch advisor, engineer Mohammed Abdullah Saad, according to the deputy governor's office.
Mu'awen lamented the "lack of response from both the Aden Gulf Ports Authority and the General Authority for Maritime Affairs (both government entities) to the memos submitted by the Aden governorate leadership regarding the pollution affecting the governorate's coastline."
He highlighted the risks posed by oil derivative waste from ships located within the confines and dumping area of the Aden International Port.
He mentioned that the latest instance of pollution occurred on the Al-Mahram coast, stating that the stretch of coastline affected by tar balls extended for 300 meters.
He noted that the most affected coastline is that of the Al-Buraiqah district, where the Environmental Authority attributed the pollution to oil derivative leaks from dilapidated ships, exceeding 13 in number.
According to Mu'awen, the continued lack of response will exacerbate the pollution and threaten an environmental catastrophe that would destroy marine life, biodiversity, and fauna in the sea and on the beaches. It would also affect the process of desalination, especially as a World Bank-supported project to build four desalination plants for Aden city is planned.
On August 20, the General Authority for Environmental Protection observed pollution from oil derivative waste on the Al-Mahram coast in Al-Buraiqah district, Aden, the temporary capital of the country (southern Yemen). The authority stated that the polluted strip was estimated to be 250-300 meters long.
In a statement reviewed by Barran Press, the authority indicated that the oil derivative waste resulted in the formation of tar balls along the remaining coastal strip towards the Al-Qasr Hotel. It noted that the effects of tarball formation were still present along the coastline and were observed on August 14, 15, and 16, 2024.
The authority pointed out the presence of a "damaged ship off the coast of Al-Haswa area being dismantled without any supervision from the relevant authorities, and the continued presence of several dilapidated ships in very poor condition within the confines and dumping area of the Aden International Port to this day, which constitute a source of concern for the continued pollution of the marine environment and the area's beaches with oil derivative waste and its harmful effects."
The authority recommended urgent action by the concerned institutions, including the expedited unloading of oil materials stored in the tanks and engines of dilapidated ships within the port, the floating and removal of these ships to the port's periphery for dismantling, and the enforcement of compliance by the owners of dilapidated ships responsible for the pollution in addressing the environmental damage according to the provisions of the law.