UNITED NATIONS - UN Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock on Wednesday warned against any possible disruption of the deployment of a UN technical team to inspect a derelict oil tanker off the Yemeni coast.

The UN team can deploy within three weeks of receiving all the necessary permits, said Lowcock in a briefing to the Security Council

Lowcock welcomed the authorization of the UN mission by Houthi rebels, who control this area. But he expressed concern that the rebels might suddenly change their minds, like what happened before.

"Last week, we received encouraging news. Ansar Allah officials confirmed to the United Nations in writing that they are ready to authorize the UN mission to the Safer (oil tanker). They have also communicated their intention to issue entry permits for mission personnel. I welcome this announcement," said Lowcock, using the official name of the Houthi militia. "We have, of course, been here before. In August 2019, we received similar assurances and, on that basis, deployed the UN team and equipment to Djibouti at significant expense. The Ansar Allah authorities canceled that mission the night before departure."

The United Nations remains ready to assist this time. The UN team can deploy within three weeks of receiving all the necessary permits, said Lowcock in a briefing to the Security Council.

The United Nations is in touch with the government of Yemen for their approvals. On Tuesday, the United Nations also submitted an official request to the Ansar Allah authorities, which includes details on the mission plan, the personnel and the technical equipment, he said. "We hope these requests and other logistical arrangements will be quickly approved, without preconditions."

The Ansar Allah authorities have an important opportunity to take steps that will spare millions of their fellow citizens from yet another tragedy, he said.

The tanker had served as a floating oil storage and offloading vessel moored in the Red Sea before most of the crew deserted it after Houthi rebels took over the area about five years ago.

On May 27, 2020, seawater began leaking into the Safer's engine room. Fortunately, the engine room leak was relatively small, and divers from the Safer corporation were able to contain it. But the fix they applied is only temporary, and it is impossible to say how long it might hold, said Lowcock.

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He warned of severe humanitarian consequences of a possible spill from the oil tanker, which is carrying 1.1 million barrels of crude oil.

If a spill were to occur in the next two months, experts project that 1.6 million Yemenis would be directly affected. Essentially every fishing community along Yemen's west coast would see their livelihoods collapse and would suffer substantial economic losses. About 90 percent of people in these communities already need humanitarian assistance, he said.

Sea currents and seasonal conditions also mean much of the oil would likely remain near Yemen's coast rather than dispersing widely. As a result, the port in Hodeidah, a lifeline for Yemenis, could be forced to close for a period of weeks or even months, said Lowcock.

"As you know, Yemen imports nearly everything, and most imports come through Hodeidah or the port at nearby Salif. Losing either of these ports for an extended period would destabilize critical commercial and aid imports of food and other essential commodities."

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The disruption of imports has the potential to inflict terrible additional suffering on millions of Yemenis. This would also deliver another severe blow to Yemen's already embattled economy. The resulting disruption would substantially accelerate recent trends that are already pushing the country toward famine, he said.