Experts are calling for aid from international governments and political states to help Yemen through an ongoing oil tanker disaster.

An abandoned oil vessel situated off the coast of Yemen is at risk of an oil spill disaster, with potentially dire consequences for nearby countries.

The FSO Safer tanker has been left without maintenance since 2015, and as a result its condition has deteriorated rapidly.

The tanker, which contains over 1.1 million barrels of light crude oil, could cause widespread environmental damage if a leak or explosion were to occur, according to a study produced by Greenpeace Research Laboratories.

The oil spill is particularly concerning for the people of Yemen, who are currently affected by one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters in recent history.

Efforts made to prevent the spill have had little effect, and environmentalists are calling on political leaders to step in.

“We urge the United Nations and all the parties and governments in the region and elsewhere to prioritize this effort,” said Ahmed El Droubi, Campaigns Manager at Greenpeace MENA. “Action to prevent a major disaster, or at least mitigate its impact, can no longer wait.”

An oil spill would cause damage to the social, economic, and ecological environments of Yemen; major shipping ports would be closed in the event of an oil spill, preventing access to food aid and supplies; the entire Red Sea region’s drinking supply could be contaminated.

The Yemeni people are heavily reliant on the fishing industry for income and food security. An oil spill would lead to the closure of fisheries, affecting up to 1.7 million people, and would damage the biodiverse ecosystem, bringing about high levels of air pollution through the release of carcinogenic chemicals.

“Governments and the oil industry have a moral obligation to take the ambitious action and stop putting people and pristine ecosystems like the Red Sea at risk for the sake of continued dependence on climate-wrecking fossil fuels,” said Paul Horsman, Project Lead Safer Response Team at Greenpeace International.