Mines and unexploded ordnance

Debris clearance in Gaza could take 14 years

Destruction in Khan Yunis(Bild: AFP)

According to estimates by the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS), it could take around 14 years to clear all the rubble and unexploded ordnance after the end of the war in the Gaza Strip. 

According to UNMAS representative Pehr Lodhammar in Geneva, the fighting between Israel and the radical Islamic Hamas has resulted in an estimated 37 million tons of rubble in the densely populated Palestinian territory.

It is also impossible to determine the exact number of unexploded bombs found.

A girl in Rafah in front of rubble(Bild: AFP)

Destruction in Khan Yunis(Bild: AFP)

14 years of work with 100 trucks
Under certain conditions, however, it could take 14 years to clear the rubble, including the ruins of destroyed buildings. "We know that typically at least ten percent of munitions deployed on the ground fail and don't work," says Lodhammar. "We're talking about 14 years of work with 100 trucks."

Hope for more relief supplies
According to the US, the construction of a temporary port off the coast of the Gaza Strip is making progress - the first relief supplies could soon be delivered via the temporary facility. The US military has started work and is deploying ships.

"The situation in Gaza is incredibly dire"
At the same time, the US government once again issued an urgent warning of an impending famine. "The humanitarian situation in Gaza is incredibly dire," said a representative of the US Agency for International Development (USAID). Almost 30 percent of children in the north of the Gaza Strip showed signs of severe malnutrition.

In the south of the Gaza Strip, almost a quarter of the population is facing "catastrophic food insecurity". These figures would rise significantly in the coming months without urgent life-saving measures to combat malnutrition.