Humanitarian Organization: Gaza Decontamination Could Take Up to 30 Years
The explosive ordnance disposal expert at the humanitarian organization Humanity & Inclusion, Nick Orr, described the Gaza Strip on Thursday as an “open-air minefield”, warning that clearing unexploded munitions could take between 20 and 30 years.
According to a UN database, more than 53 Palestinians have been killed and hundreds injured by explosive remnants of the Zionist war on Gaza, which lasted two years. However, humanitarian organizations believe the real toll is much higher.
“If you’re looking at a full clearance, it’s never happening — it’s subterranean,” Orr said. “We will find it for generations to come.”
He added: “Surface clearance, now that’s something that’s attainable within a generation — I think 20 to 30 years.”
Orr explained that even if the surface is cleared, hidden explosives buried beneath the rubble will continue to pose a danger for decades, making Gaza, in his words, “an open-air minefield.”
The United Nations recently reported that its demining teams have identified 560 landmines and explosive devices among the ruins in Gaza since the ceasefire came into effect.
“Since the conclusion of the ceasefire on October 10, UN teams have identified at least 560 explosive devices in accessible areas of Gaza,” said Luke David Irving, head of the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS), during a press briefing on Tuesday.
“We will only know the true scale of contamination once a full survey is conducted,” he cautioned, adding: “Decades of experience have shown us that when a conflict ends, unexploded ordnance continues to maim and kill.”
