NEW | Gaza Could Take 30 Years to Clear of Unexploded Bombs, Aid Expert Warns

[qudsnen@mastodon.neometropolis.net]

NEW | Gaza Could Take 30 Years to Clear of Unexploded Bombs, Aid Expert Warns

Humanity and Inclusion warns Gaza could take decades to clear of unexploded ordnance, calling the Strip a “horrific, unmapped minefield.”

Nick Orr, the charity’s explosive-ordnance disposal expert, said full subterranean clearance is effectively a multi-generation task but that “surface clearance is attainable within a generation, I think 20 to 30 years.” He added, “It’s going to be a very small chipping away at a very big problem.”

More than 53 deaths and hundreds of injuries have been recorded from explosive remnants since the two-year genocide began, a U.N. database shows, a figure aid agencies say is likely a serious undercount.

Orr’s seven-person team is preparing to begin mapping hazards around critical infrastructure such as hospitals and bakeries, but work is stalled because organizations have not received broad Israeli approvals or permission to import specialized disposal equipment.

Humanity & Inclusion is seeking authorization to use burn-out techniques rather than detonations to reduce the risk of munitions being repurposed.

#Israel #Palestine #Gaza #Genocide