The Red Sea has become the latest victim in the ongoing violent conflict in Yemen between Houthi rebels and the internationally recognized Yemeni government backed by a Saudi-led coalition. On Saturday, officials confirmed that a cargo ship attacked by Houthi rebels over two weeks ago has now completely sunk, making it the first vessel to be fully destroyed since the rebel group began targeting ships in the crucial shipping lane.
The sinking of the Panama-flagged vessel Rubymar in the southern end of the Red Sea is a concerning development that will likely lead to more ships avoiding the region, driving up costs and inflation globally while also affecting aid shipments to Yemen and neighboring countries. Experts warn that the environmental impacts of the ship’s sinking could be disastrous for marine life in the ecologically sensitive Red Sea.
According to multiple officials, the Rubymar went down late Friday evening as severe storms battered the area where the crippled vessel had been drifting since a Houthi-launched missile tore through its hull on February 18. By Saturday morning, the ship was almost fully submerged, with just the tip of its stern still visible above water.
The Iran-backed Shiite Houthi rebels, who overthrew Yemen’s internationally recognized government in 2014 and have controlled the capital Sana’a since then, celebrated the ship’s demise as revenge against a Saudi-led Sunni coalition that has been bombing the Houthis in support of Yemen’s exiled government. A Houthi military spokesperson called the attack “a warning shot” to anyone supporting their enemies.
Cargo Ships Rerouting Away from Red Sea Shipping Lane
The Houthis have taken credit for a string of attempted attacks on commercial vessels passing through the narrow Bab el-Mandeb strait at the mouth of the Red Sea since late last year. Experts say the militants are using new weapons capabilities provided by Iran.
Most targeted ships have escaped major damage, but the successful strike on the Rubymar two weeks ago put the global shipping industry on high alert. Data shows cargo ships and oil tankers are already avoiding the entire Red Sea, opting to take the much longer route around the southern tip of Africa instead.
Analysts say every ship that opts for the alternate route means delayed deliveries and higher transportation costs that will drive up prices of everything from Asian electronics to Middle Eastern oil for European customers. Overall, the rerouting is estimated to cost the global economy over $5 billion each month if it continues.
“This could have a real snowball effect on inflation and availability of goods across Africa, Europe and the rest of the world,” said maritime economist Dr. Ahmed Ibrahim of the London School of Economics. “Yemen is a relatively poor country, but the conflict there is creating global ripples that will hit regular people everywhere right in their wallets.”
Environmental Disaster Feared from Sinking Ship
While the economic impacts may hurt average citizens worldwide, experts say the immediate effects of the ship’s sinking will be felt by Yemenis dependent on a healthy Red Sea ecosystem.
The Rubymar was carrying over 5,000 tons of fertilizer and 300,000 gallons of diesel fuel when it was attacked. Video showed large slicks of oil leaking from the stricken vessel over the past two weeks, and it is unknown how much more has spilled into the sea since the ship went down.
“That fertilizer will feed huge algal blooms that can choke out other marine life, while the petroleum could poison everything from coral reef ecosystems to desalination plants that provide drinking water,” explained University of Sana’a Marine Biology Professor Rami Saleh. “It’s like the toxic ingredients for creating an environmental disaster right on our doorstep.”
Saleh said the effects may disrupt fishing and tourism for decades, further hurting Yemenis already suffering from widespread famine and poverty amidst the ongoing civil war. “We could see dead zones form where no fish or animals can survive,” he warned. “Coral reefs that protect coastal cities from storms and waves could die off as well.”
Calls for External Help to Salvage Ship, Clean Spill
Yemen’s exiled government issued an urgent call for international assistance to salvage the wreck of the Rubymar and contain the oil spill before it spreads further in the Red Sea.
We simply don’t have the expertise or resources to manage a crisis of this magnitude resulting from the Houthis’ reckless mischief,” said Yemeni Prime Minister Ahmed Mubarak. “We didn’t start this war but our people and shared marine environment are paying the price. The global community can’t turn a blind eye.”
However, efforts to provide assistance may be complicated by security concerns. The Houthis have threatened additional attacks on vessels entering Yemen’s territorial waters, and warned that any military-assisted salvage operation would provoke severe retaliation.
The rebels also criticized regional rival Saudi Arabia over the weekend, accusing the kingdom of abandoning Yemen and the Rubymar by failing to intervene sooner when the ship was adrift and leaking oil after the attack. Such rhetoric suggests Houthi opposition is likely to hinder any salvage efforts in the short term.
In the meantime, all eyes remain on the Rubymar wreck along with dozens of other tankers and cargo ships still traversing the Red Sea. If Houthi strikes continue despite international pressure, the Rubymar may be just the first of many sunken ships disrupting a critical global trade route while choking the sea itself. The ripple effects from Yemen’s brinkmanship in the Red Sea seem certain to impact consumers and environments far beyond the Arabian Peninsula.
