Gaza needs 15 years to clear 40m tons of war rubble, says UNRWA

The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said on Monday that it will take 15 years to clear 40 million tons of war debris in Gaza. The estimate is based on data from the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).

Such a massive clearance programme, explained the agency, will need more than 100 trucks and cost over $500 million. It warned that the debris poses a “deadly threat” to the residents of Gaza Strip due to the potential presence of “unexploded ordnance and harmful substances.”

Since 7 October last year, Israel has waged a devastating war against the Palestinians in Gaza with US support. The occupation state has killed 39,000 people and wounded at least 90,000, most of them children and women. An estimated 10,000 Palestinians remain missing, presumed dead, under the rubble of their homes destroyed by the Israelis, who have also destroyed essential civilian infrastructure and created famine conditions which have already claimed the lives of dozens of children who have been starved to death.

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