Senior UN official says he believes Israel gave ‘commitments’ not to attack Lebanese ports, airport

BEIRUT — A top United Nations official says during a visit to Beirut that he is concerned that Lebanon’s ports and airport might be taken out of service, with serious implications for getting food supplies into the county, as Israel continues its offensive against Hezbollah.

“What I have seen and heard today is devastating, but the sense is that this can get much worse still, and that needs to be avoided,” says Carl Skau, deputy executive director of the UN World Food Program, in an interview with The Associated Press.

He appeals for “all diplomatic efforts possible to try to find a political solution” to the war and for supply lines to remain open.

“We have huge concerns and there are many, but one of them is indeed that we need the ports and we need the supply routes to continue to be able to operate,” Skau says.

Skau says he believes that Israeli authorities had given “commitments” that in Lebanon, the ports and airport would not be taken out of commission.

“But of course, this is a very changing environment. So we don’t take anything for granted,” he says.