UN mine-action experts warn Gaza clearance will require massive funding and time

UN mine-action experts warned Monday that clearing unexploded ordnance and the vast quantities of rubble in Gaza will require far more resources than currently available.

Speaking on the sidelines of a meeting of mine-action national directors in Geneva, UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) representatives said the current period is “the most dangerous period” for returning residents because unexploded ordnance poses a high risk. “This is the most dangerous period. Once people start returning to the North, that's when most accidents will occur because they won't be familiar with where you, unexploded ordinance is located. And so it's important that once the returns start, we're poised and ready to be able to provide the risk education they need,” a UNMAS chief said.

UNMAS told the meeting there are an estimated 37,000,000 tons of rubble in Gaza and about 800,000 tons of asbestos that will need to be removed and managed before reconstruction can proceed. The briefing said UNMAS currently has roughly 5,000,000 in funding and that another 40,000,000 will be needed over the next 18 months to begin clearance operations. The transcript did not specify the currency for these figures.

UN mine-action representatives called for a ceasefire and for expanded efforts to clear unexploded weapons from the worst-affected areas so that returns can be conducted more safely. The agency and member-state mine-action directors in Geneva emphasized both immediate risk education for returnees and the long-term, costly logistics of rubble and hazardous-material removal.