A senior official from the UN Mine Action Service revealed on Friday that around 37 million tonnes of debris need to be cleared in Gaza once the Israeli offensive ends.
Pehr Lodhammar, representing UNMAS and with experience in managing mine programs in countries like Iraq, highlighted that unexploded ordnance within the rubble would further complicate the clearance process. Lodhammar mentioned the challenge in determining the live ammunition remaining in Gaza, noting a typical failure rate of at least 10 percent for land service ammunition.
According to Lodhammar, the estimated 37 million tonnes of debris equate to roughly 300 kg per square meter. He said that hypothetically, it would take around 14 years to clear this debris using 100 trucks.
These remarks were made during the launch of UNMAS’s 2023 annual report on Friday. The conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas erupted following an unprecedented attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7.
Additionally, Jan Egeland, Secretary-General of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), warned on Friday that an Israeli assault on southern Gaza’s Rafah area would have disastrous consequences for civilians, not only in Gaza but across the Middle East.
Egeland expressed concern over a potential escalation of conflict in the region, urging Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to halt the operation. He emphasized the dire situation faced by 1.3 million civilians seeking refuge in Rafah, including NRC staff, who are living in fear of an Israeli offensive.
Egeland’s statements came during his visit to southern Lebanese villages, which he described as caught in a “horrific crossfire” between the Israeli military and Hezbollah. He expressed apprehension about repeating the mistakes of the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel, stressing the urgent need to prevent further conflict in the Middle East.
