As the Turks rampaged across the island, only the city of Famagusta resisted.

In 1988, due to public pressure, 5,500 barrels were removed from Lebanon, yet approximately 2,500 tons of toxic waste are believed to have been dumped 40 to 50 kilometers east of Famagusta, in the waters between Lebanon and Cyprus.

Perez de Cuellar stated that tension between the two sides had continued largely because of the military buildup on the island and the "persisting problem" in Varosha, where students attending a university established by Turkish Cypriot authorities in Famagusta and who were reportedly dependents of personnel of Turkish forces in Cyprus had been housed in two hotels inside Varosha's fenced area.