Minister of Environment, Yasmine Fouad, urged the Council of Arab Ministers Responsible for the Environment (CAMRE) to avoid an environmental disaster caused by the lack of maintenance of the oil tanker (Safer) located in the Red Sea since 2015.

Safer carries an estimated amount of 1 million barrels of oil (mmbbl). Without maintenance, the tanker could cause an explosion which will have major environmental impacts on marine life and living organisms, not only in Yemen but also Arab and African countries bordering the Red Sea. Fouad indicated that Egypt is utilizing all its expertise and technical capabilities to find a solution to the crisis. Additionally, Egypt participated in meetings held by the Regional Organization for the Conservation of the Environment of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden (PERSGA) to coordinate an emergency plan.

The minister added that Egypt could request technical support from the United Nations (UN) Secretariat to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to preserve the Red Sea and the living organisms at risk. CAMRE agreed on the need to appeal to the UN and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to reduce the negative effects that may occur and to partake in the process and seek funding.