UN estimates it will take at least 15 years to clear Gaza of bombing debris
By richardbrown // 2024-07-18
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The United Nations has projected that the arduous task of clearing the rubble left behind by Israel's extensive bombardment of the Gaza Strip will require a staggering 15 years of hard work and carry a price tag ranging between $500 million and $600 million. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) underscored the immense scale of this undertaking, highlighting that the debris poses grave threats due to potential unexploded ordnance and hazardous substances. The UNRWA emphasized the logistical challenges, noting that more than 100 trucks would be necessary to clear the rubble, which accumulated during Israel's intensive bombing campaign. From Oct. 7 to May 4, Israel's bombardment of Gaza saw an unprecedented 70,000 tons worth of bombs dropped on the 140 square mile region, surpassing the cumulative tonnage of all bombs dropped during World War II, according to the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor. (Related: Death toll in Gaza could hit nearly 600,000 people as "indirect deaths" pile up, The Lancet projects.) A comprehensive report released by the UN Environment Program (UNEP) in June detailed the extent of the damage, revealing that a staggering 137,297 buildings were damaged in Gaza, amounting to over half of the enclave's total infrastructure. The report projected that vast landfill sites covering 250 to 500 hectares would be required to accommodate the debris. Beyond the physical destruction, the conflict has dealt a devastating blow to Gaza's development, setting back critical sectors such as health care, education and economic stability by an estimated 44 years, according to the report's findings. The environmental repercussions have been equally severe, with explosive weapons generating an estimated 39 million tons of debris, exacerbating already dire conditions in water, sanitation and hygiene systems. Even before the recent conflict, over 92 percent of Gaza's water was deemed unfit for human consumption. Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the UNEP, highlighted the profound impact on human health and food security, stressing that these conditions severely undermine Gaza's overall resilience. The report, commissioned in response to a request from the Palestinian Environment Quality Authority, the main Palestinian-controlled environment ministry based in the West Bank, also drew attention to ongoing environmental degradation exacerbated by climate change and previous attacks on Gaza's environmental infrastructure.

Israel continues to devastate Gaza's people

Recent casualty figures released by the Palestinian health ministry paint a grim picture, documenting at least 38,664 Palestinians killed and 89,097 wounded since Oct. 7 as a result of Israeli military actions. As the Israel-Hamas conflict enters its 10th month, ongoing military operations in Gaza are worsening the humanitarian crisis. Over 80 percent of Gaza's pre-war population of 2.3 million people are displaced. Gaza City, the densely populated urban area in northern Gaza with around 350,000 residents, has faced intensified military actions and forced evacuation orders in recent days. Despite warnings to evacuate to so-called "safe zones," Palestinians are hunkering down wherever they can, as finding actual safe havens in Gaza is becoming increasingly difficult. Furthermore, Gazans are finding it difficult to stave off starvation due to severe shortages of food and water, and those weakened by injury or sickness are also having difficult being treated due to shortages of medicine, all of which is being deliberately exacerbated by Israel due to its blockade of humanitarian aid entering the Strip. This has made delivering aid an ongoing challenge, as only a fraction of the supplies necessary to sustain Gaza's population reach their intended targets. The few remaining functioning medical facilities in Gaza are overwhelmed, with triage forcing people with chronic illnesses to be left untreated, not to mention the fact that cases of malnutrition are rising daily. The situation underscores urgent calls for a ceasefire and effective humanitarian intervention. Watch this video discussing the situation with the remaining health care centers and clinics in Gaza. This video is from the AllTheWorldsAStage channel on Brighteon.com.

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