UNIFIL is currently studying a request presented by the Lebanese authorities to help deal with an oil spill that may have originated from a ship passing near the Israeli coast and has now reached the southern shores of Lebanon.
UNIFIL spokesperson, Andrea Tenenti, told the National News Agency that in relation to the oil spill and tar deposited in parts of the coastline in south Lebanon, UNIFIL has been contacted by local authorities to see what help can be provided within our available capabilities and equipment.
“We are studying these requests to see how we can help,” the spokesperson said.
Sticky black deposits were visible on Monday on beaches in a nature reserve in Tyre, south Lebanon.
Israeli officials said on Sunday they were trying to find the ship responsible for the spill that drenched much of its Mediterranean shoreline with tar, an environmental blow that will take months or years to clean up.
Naqoura mayor Abbas Awada said on Friday that the Israeli leak damaged the small seaside town, famous for its clean beaches.
“We should act quickly to clean the oil spill,” he said, describing what happened as an “environmental crime.”
The mayor said the leak has blackened most of the southern shores.
Early this week, caretaker Foreign Minister Charbel Wehbe said he would request from the UN to assist in dealing with this environmental crisis.
“There is an Israeli silence on the causes of what happened. The UN should request from Israel to uncover the amount of oil spill,” he said.
Also, President Michel Aoun followed up on available data concerning the oil spill and on measures, which must be taken to limit its negative impact on the Lebanese coast, especially after the appearance of sporadic black spots, on the southern coast of Ramle Al-Bayda.
