Freighter “Rubymar” sank in Red Sea after Houthi attack

The “Rubymar” is the first merchant ship to sink in the Red Sea after a Houthi missile attack. The militia shelled the freighter in mid-February and an oil slick formed. Now things could get even worse.

A cargo ship attacked by the Islamist Houthis almost two weeks ago has sunk in the Red Sea. The “Rubymar” was badly damaged by rocket fire and filled with water. As a result, a kilometer-long oil slick formed off the coast of Yemen. The ship’s crew was disembarked shortly after the attack.

The internationally recognized government in Yemen said the “Rubymar,” which was loaded with 41,000 tons of fertilizer, sank on Friday evening in stormy seas. A local military representative also confirmed to the AP news agency that the freighter had sunk. According to the tracking service Vesselfinder, the “Rubymar” flew the flag of Belize.

Fear of one Environmental disaster

Yemeni Prime Minister Ahmed Awad Bin Mubarak wrote on X that he regretted the development, which would lead to an environmental disaster in the region.

“This is a real environmental disaster. The impact on the fishing industry and coral reefs will be huge,” said Ramah Al-Jubari, director of the Yemeni Media Observatory, on Arabic channel Al-Hadath.

This will affect the entire Yemeni coast, but also surrounding countries such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Sudan, which need the Red Sea for water desalination.” The US military warned a few days ago that the already existing effects would be expanded warned the environment.

Greenpeace hopes for a rescue operation

Julien Jreissati, who is responsible for the Middle East at the environmental organization Greenpeace, said in an interview with the daily News, the sinking of the ship is not only problematic for the Red Sea, but for the entire world. “It damages corals because they are resilient to climate change. Losing them will impact our ability to adapt to climate change globally.”

However, Jreissati doesn’t want to give up hope completely. It might still be possible to recover the fertilizer – including from the sunken ship, he said. He therefore demands that trained emergency services be given safe access immediately. “It is important to know the condition of the cargo on board. How the fertilizer is stored and whether it has already leaked into the sea. If so, it may be possible to contain the spill or find a way to recover the cargo.”

Ship sank for the first time after Houthi attack

It is the first time the Houthis have caused a ship to sink since they began attacking ships in the region. The militia allied with Iran says it wants to force an end to the Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip by shelling merchant ships in the Red Sea.

Several Western countries, including the USA and Great Britain, are involved in operations to counter the attacks. The EU has also launched a military operation to protect merchant shipping in the Red Sea, in which Germany is participating 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. Because of the Houthi attacks, large shipping companies are increasingly avoiding the shortest sea route between Asia and Europe – with significant effects on the global economy.

With information from Miriam Staber, ARD Studio Cairo