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This workshop builds on last year’s emergency assistance, approved by UNESCO World Heritage, for the Oil Spill Response Action Project in the Socotra Archipelago, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The project aims to address critical impact and pollution risk assessment needs and establish an action and response plan.

During the event, the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) presented the steps taken following the 2023 workshop and discussed the impact of recent dismantling operations, which needed better coordination with the agency.

Participants engaged in meaningful discussions, reflecting on the current situation and exploring ways forward. One participant, Sheikha Omar of the Coast Women Association in Sirhin, shared her experience:  

"Last July, I noticed a strong diesel smell at Delisha Beach, which concerned me due to what I learned at the UNESCO workshop about oil spills. I immediately informed my colleagues at the EPA, who attended the same workshop, and they discovered a minor leak. The workshop has been extremely valuable, motivating me to monitor the situation closely. The problem not only affects Delisha Beach but also the nearby Di Hamri Nature Reserve. Women from the area have also reported a disturbing sound caused by waves hitting the stranded vessel. With rising waves expected in October, the situation could worsen. I hope officials can find a lasting solution."

In November 2019, the Gulf Dove oil tanker, owned by Abr Albehar Shipping Company and carrying 7,000 metric tonnes of oil derivatives, ran aground on the northern coast of Socotra Island, within the Delisha Nature Sanctuary, a core area of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. In January 2023, during routine coastal monitoring, environmental NGOs discovered an oil spill from the Gulf Dove, contaminating a large section of Delisha Beach. In response, UNESCO approved emergency assistance in June 2023 to launch the Oil Spill Response Action Project in the Socotra Archipelago.