UN mine action says Gaza unexploded ordnance takes 14 yrs to clear

Anjali Sharma

GG News Bureau
UNITED NATIONS, 27th April. A senior officer from the UN Mine Action Service Pehr Lodhammar on Friday said that the unexploded bombs could take 14 years to clear in Gaza.

Pehr Lodhammar said that the war has left an estimated 37 million tonnes of debris.

He said it was impossible to determine the exact amount of unexploded ordnance in the enclave where formerly heavily built-up and densely populated neighbourhoods have been reduced to rubble after 7 months of intense Israeli bombardment.

He noted that every square metre in Gaza impacted by the conflict contains some 200 kilogrammes of rubble, the veteran UN demining expert told journalists in Geneva.

“All I can say is that at least 10 per cent of the ammunition that is being fired potentially fails to functios with 100 trucks we’re talking about 14 years of work with 100 trucks, so that’s 14 years to remove with about 750,000 workdays person workdays to remove the debris.”

The the leaders of 18 nations including the US called for the release of all remaining hostages taken during the Hamas-led terror attacks in southern Israel that killed some 1,250 people.

Israel believes that over 130 hostages are still being held in Gaza after the 7 October attacks which prompted the Israeli bombardment that has killed more than 34,350 Palestinians and wounded over 77,360, according to the enclave’s health authorities.

UN humanitarians warned that famine is imminent in the northern Gaza Strip, in a renewed urgent appeal for more aid relief to be allowed into the enclave.

Israel pledged to improve aid access via the Erez Crossing just north of Gaza and Ashdod cargo port, further northwards.

WFP said a small increase in aid had happened, but not enough in volume or diversity.

Carl Skau, WFP Deputy Executive Director said “We’re still heading towards a famine, we haven’t seen that paradigm shift that’s needed to avert a famine, we need more volume, more predictability and a sustained effort to get more diverse assistance into the north.”

Mr. Skau underlined continuing deep concerns that any ground invasion of Rafah risked disrupting already insufficient aid distributions.

The reports of sustained Israeli strikes on easternAnd turning to efforts to establish a marine corridor for humanitarian aid, he insisted that “there is no substitute for land” deliveries into Gaza.

The rights experts have appealed to Israel for safe passage for a flotilla of boats carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza.

The “Freedom Flotilla” plans to depart from Türkiye carrying 5,500 tonnes of aid, along with hundreds of international humanitarian observers, en route for the besieged Gaza Strip.

Michael Fakhri, Special Rapporteur on the right to food said “As the Freedom Flotilla approaches Palestinian territorial waters off Gaza, Israel must adhere to international law, including recent orders from the International Court of Justice to ensure unimpeded access for humanitarian aid”.

The experts noted that Israel intercepted and attacked the Freedom Flotilla’s civilian ships in international waters, killing 10 passengers and wounded others in 2010.

Freedom Flotilla had attempted to break the Israeli blockade by delivering humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza.