United Nations

A/60/956­S/2006/575
Distr.: General 26 July 2006 English Original: Arabic

General Assembly Security Council

General Assembly Sixtieth session Agenda item 14 The situation in the Middle East

Security Council Sixty-first year

Identical letters dated 26 July 2006 from the Chargé d'affaires a.i. of the Permanent Mission of Lebanon to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council
On instructions from my Government, and with reference to my previous correspondence concerning Israel's constant aggression against the people and institutions of Lebanon and its assiduous efforts to destroy Lebanon's vital facilities, I should like to draw your particular attention on this occasion to the massive oil pollution caused to the whole of Lebanese coastline by the Israeli aggression. In conjunction with the competent regional centres, the Lebanese Ministry of Environment is conducting a preliminary field survey of a large part of the Lebanese coastline and is in the process of compiling the necessary reports on this enormous environmental disaster and the economic and social repercussions of such pollution, which include the contamination of sandy and rocky shorelines, as well as damage to tourist complexes, hotels and marine life. Lebanon kindly requests you to take such measures as are appropriate and necessary to ensure that the various United Nations bodies and specialized agencies investigate this environmental disaster and deal with its repercussions. I should be grateful if you would have the present letter circulated as a document of the sixtieth session of the General Assembly under agenda item 14 entitled "The situation in the Middle East". An identical letter has been transmitted to the President of the Security Council. (Signed) Caroline Ziade Chargé d'affaires a.i.

06-44531 (E) 260706 260706

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