Background - August 10, 2006
While our immediate concern and sympathy lies with the injured,
thedisplaced and the families of the victims of this conflict, long
termenvironmental damage is an inevitable consequence of war.
Greenpeace is calling for an immediate cease fire and an end to
theviolence and environmental destruction. We also call for efforts
toestablish long lasting regional stability and peace.
This would also allow urgent and needed humanitarian aid to
reach allparts of Lebanon, and for the UN Environment Programme,
the WorldHealth Organization and others to begin assessing the
environmentaldamage caused by the bombing.
In the case of the heavy oil flowing into the sea from the
bombedstorage tanks at the Jiyyeh power station, 30 km south of
Beirut, themost important priority is to prevent any further
leakage anddestruction and which could potentially spread to the
entire eastMediterranean coastline.
View maps of
the current oil pollution
.
In the short term the Lebanese authorities are in urgent need
ofassistance to stem and control the flow of the oil onto its
beaches andinto its fishing grounds.
In the longer term it could take between 6 and 12 months to
clean up the oil from some 100 km of Lebanon's coastline.
The spill is especially threatening since fish spawn and sea
turtlesnest on Lebanon's coast, including the green turtle which is
endangeredin the Mediterranean.
Greenpeace urges the international community to work to bring
animmediate end to the human suffering and the environmental
destruction.