UNMAS: There is more war debris in Gaza after seven months than in Ukraine after over two years
By lauraharris // 2024-05-03
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The United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) has revealed that there is more war debris and rubble in the Gaza Strip after just seven months of conflict than in Ukraine after over two years. "Gaza has more rubble than Ukraine, and to put that in perspective, the Ukrainian front line is 600 miles long, and Gaza is 25 miles long," said Mungo Birch, chief of the Mine Action Program in the occupied Palestinian territories. According to Birch, the UN demining operations in the Gaza Strip estimated a staggering 37 million tons of debris in Gaza, equating to approximately 300 kilograms (661 pounds) per square meter. However, Birch added that the peril extends beyond the sheer quantity of rubble. UNMAS officials warned the public that the presence of unexploded ordnance and the potential exposure to toxic substances further complicates the clearance process. (Related: Ukraine proxy war & Gaza genocide fatally expose Western hypocrisy and moral bankruptcy.) "This rubble is likely heavily contaminated with unexploded ordnance, but its clearance will be further complicated by other hazards in the rubble. There's estimated to be over 800,000 tonnes of asbestos alone in the Gaza rubble," Birch said. Birch noted that the presence of asbestos, a cancer-causing mineral commonly used in construction materials, poses significant health risks and demands special precautions during clearance operations. The presence of this toxic substance requires urgent, meticulous planning and stringent safety protocols to safeguard both clearance teams and civilians residing in the area.

It could take decades to make Gaza Strip a safe and habitable place again

During a press briefing, Birch said UNMAS has already secured $5 million of funding to restore the Gaza Strip over the next 12 months. But the organization needs significantly more funding over the next few years just to make Gaza safe to live in again. Pehr Lodhammar, the former head of UNMAS operations in Iraq, echoed the sentiment. "All I can say is that at least 10 percent of the ammunition that is being fired potentially fails to function … 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," Lodhammar said. Moreover, a UN report suggests that, with approximately 80,000 homes razed to the ground, the reconstruction of Gaza may stretch well into 2040. In a best-case scenario, where construction materials are delivered at an unprecedented rate, rebuilding the destroyed homes could be completed by 2040. However, the report also warns that under more realistic projections, Gaza may require up to 80 years to restore all housing units. The devastation extends beyond residential areas. Satellite images reveal that 85.8 percent of schools in Gaza have suffered some level of damage since the onset of the Israel-Hamas war. Meanwhile, over 70 percent of these educational institutions require major and full reconstruction. Meaning, the daunting Gaza Strip restoration would take decades to make it a safe and habitable place again. Follow WWIII.news for more stories about the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. Watch this video about innocent children in Gaza getting bombed by Israeli forces. This video is from the channel The Prisoner on Brighteon.com.

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