More than a year into the conflict, the Israeli military’s intense and extensive bombing campaign has left Gaza littered with an estimated 37 million tonnes of debris. This devastation, coupled with countless unexploded ordnances still lying beneath the rubble, continues to pose a severe threat to life and limb, with demining campaigns in the Gaza Strip estimated to take 14 years.
As Palestinians in Gaza have been forcibly displaced numerous times over the past year – and with many attempting to return to their homes in southern Gaza – the presence of unexploded ordnance will continue to pose a deadly threat for years to come. Experts estimate that around 10% of the explosives dropped on Gaza – approximately 7,000 tons – remain unexploded, posing a deadly threat to Palestinians as they return to the rubble of their destroyed homes.
Supported by ActionAid, members of the Humanitarian Youth Group are at the forefront of humanitarian efforts in Gaza. They focus on raising residents’ awareness about the dangers of unexploded ordnance. Khalid and Walaa are part of this group and have conducted risk education sessions. In these sessions, they identified different types of unexploded ordnance, explained their risks, and taught protection methods. Other topics included recognizing warning signs, practicing safe behavior, and handling emergency situations.
Wala’a, another member of the Humanitarian Youth Group, said:
“Raising awareness about unexploded ordnances is extremely important in the Gaza Strip where there is no safe place and indiscriminate bombing everywhere. People who do not lose their lives or body parts [in the war], might lose their lives or body parts while playing near or touching unexploded ordinances.
Gaza is now an area full of rubble, bombing, and unexploded ordnances and rockets left by the Israeli [military] in the areas and places that it withdrew from. For this reason, these workshops are needed to raise awareness in the community and among children, particularly because they have the curiosity to explore everything. It is very important to conduct and organize sessions to raise their awareness about unexploded ordnances and save their lives [through] the practices that should be followed when they see those materials in Gaza.”
The presence of these deadly munitions poses a grave threat to civilian safety and hinders reconstruction efforts. Urgent international assistance is needed to mitigate this danger and support demining operations even as the brutal attack on Gaza continues.
ENDS
Spokespeople are available. For media requests, please email christal.james@actionaid.org or call 7046659743.
About ActionAid
ActionAid is a global federation working with more than 41 million people living in more than 71 of the world’s poorest countries. We want to see a just, fair, and sustainable world, in which everybody enjoys the right to a life of dignity, and freedom from poverty and oppression. We work to achieve social justice and gender equality and to eradicate poverty.
