UN warns of rising unexploded ordnance threat in Gaza
The danger from unexploded ordnance in the Gaza Strip is increasing, the UN says.
Luke Irving, head of the UN Mine Action Service, said clearing unexploded munitions would be a lengthy process, according to a report by Wafa.
Estimates are between 70,000 tons and 200,000 tons of bombs have been dropped on Gaza since Oct 7. Also estimates of 10% (or more) of bombs failing to explode. So that means there is anywhere between 8,500 tons and 20,000 tons of unexploded bombs laying around in the rubble.
(Note the 70,000 tons estimate that still keeps getting repeated is from June 2024, 15 months ago)
https://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/halo-sending-100-bomb-disposal-experts-gaza
https://truthout.org/articles/israeli-assault-has-left-20000-unexploded-bombs-across-gaza-officials-estimate/
70,000 tonnes of unexploded ordnance in Gaza: Civil Defence
Gaza Civil Defence spokesman Mahmoud Basal has spoken to Al Jazeera about the on-ground situation in the coastal enclave. Here are his translated comments:
- There are 70,000 tonnes of unexploded ordnance in the Gaza Strip, posing a major threat to the population.
- Searching for the bodies of those killed under the rubble requires a lot of time and equipment that we do not have.
