The British ship broke down in the Red Sea after it was exposed to a Houthi attack last week (social networking sites)

The US military warned of an environmental catastrophe resulting from the leakage of harmful substances from a British ship that broke down in the Red Sea following an attack carried out by the Houthi group last week, while Germany is moving to send a frigate to join the European mission to secure international navigation in the region.

The US Central Command said in a statement published on the

The statement warned that a huge oil slick had appeared around the ship, indicating the leakage of harmful substances into the Red Sea and portending an environmental disaster. It confirmed that the ship was anchored, but water was slowly seeping into it, leaving an 18-mile-long oil slick.

For its part, the internationally recognized Yemeni government appealed to the countries of the world and organizations concerned with the environment to expedite dealing with the crisis of the British ship, and said in a statement - today, Saturday - that major damage was caused to the ship as a result of its targeting, and that “preliminary information indicates that it is heading towards the Yemeni Hanish Islands in the Red Sea.” “Which threatens a major environmental catastrophe.”

It indicated that it had formed a crisis cell to develop an emergency plan to deal with the situation, and called on the relevant international authorities to urgently support its efforts given its limited capabilities.

According to the Yemeni Saba Agency, the British ship was targeted by the Houthis while it was carrying large quantities of ammonia and oils.

The cargo ship Rubimare, which flies the Belizean flag and is registered in Britain and carries combustible fertilizers, was severely damaged as a result of being targeted by a missile last Sunday, and the Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack.

European mission

In a related context, the German Parliament approved, by a wide majority, the decision for a German Navy frigate to participate in the European mission to secure international navigation in the Red Sea region.


According to this decision, the German Parliament gives the green light for the Hessen frigate to participate in the protection of international transport ships in the Red Sea for a period of one year.

According to German media, the frigate Hessen sailed two weeks ago from the port of the city of Wilhemshaven in the north of the country towards the Red Sea, carrying 240 German naval personnel.

In support of the Palestinian resistance, since the escalation of the war on Gaza, the Houthis have been targeting ships owned or operated by Israeli companies or individuals or transporting goods to and from Israel. They have expanded their attacks to include American and British ships after the latter two began launching raids on Yemen.

Since last January, American and British forces have launched strikes on Houthi positions in Yemen after their attacks in the Red Sea escalated.

Source: Al Jazeera + agencies