- This is the first incident of Houthi forces sinking a western vessel since they began attacks.
- The sinking has prompted concerns of environmental damage due to the spillage of oil and ammonium-basedfertiliser.
After two weeks of taking on water following a Houthi attack, the Rubymar, a large 172-meter-long cargo ship registered in the United Kingdom has finally sunk in the Gulf of Aden.
This is the first reported instance of a Houthi attack sinking an international shipping vessel since November 2023 when the Yemen based group started attacking ships passing through the region in opposition to western nations such as the UK and UK for their support of Israel’s military assault of Gaza.
The Rubymar which is owned by Golden Adventure Shipping, a company with an address reported to be registered in Southampton was hit by two missiles fired by Yemen-based Houthi rebels on the 18th of February.
According to official statements, the vessel was carrying more than 41,000 tonnes of fertilizer including approximately 21,000 tonnes of ammonium phosphate sulphate fertilizer, the discharge of which into the Red Sea has prompted concerns long lasting ecological damage to the area and its coral reefs.
Greenpeace has stated that the release of ammonium nitrate could have “significant impacts on marine ecosystems” and the Marine Science Department at the University of Jordan has said the fertilizer spill can facilitate excessive algae growth which would deplete oxygen needed by marine life to survive.
Additionally, oil from the ship had been spilling for several days before it sank which is also said to have deleterious effects for the marine life and ecosystem.
The head of the Houthi Supreme Revolutionary Committee, Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, stated that UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was responsible for the sinking of the Rubymardue to his government’s support of the “genocide” in Gaza.
In a post on X, he followed up by stating that “Sunak has a chance to recover the Rubymar by allowing aid trucks into Gaza”.
