Handicap International warned on Friday that unexploded ordnance is one of the biggest long-term problems in Gaza, confirming its presence throughout the strip and preventing humanitarian aid from reaching it.
This came on the sidelines of the 30th edition of the “Pyramid of Shoes” event organized by the non-governmental organization, an event held every year to raise awareness of the harm caused to civilians by bombs and mines, and which takes place on Saturday and Sunday in Paris and Lyon.
At the event, the NGO’s head of mine action in the occupied Palestinian territories, Nicholas Orr, will give his testimony after two missions to the Gaza Strip.
“dangerous situation”
In a statement to Agence France-Presse, Orr said that after nearly a year of war, bombs, artillery shells and other unexploded weapons have become present in every corner of Gaza, preventing the arrival of humanitarian aid and the establishment of health or medical infrastructure.
He stressed that the situation in Gaza is very dangerous, pointing out that one of the biggest problems currently in Gaza is access to damaged buildings, due to the presence of unexploded ordnance.
He stressed that civilians have nowhere to turn because it is impossible to “protect civilians to dismantle unexploded weapons.”
While waiting for a ceasefire, the organization is working on the ground and reporting on some munitions spotted, sometimes with red paint to warn of their danger.
He continued: “Paris and London continue to remove munitions from World War II,” and in Gaza, removing unexploded ordnance “will require concerted efforts and a lot of money from the international community, as well as a lot of efforts from international humanitarian actors.”
In Gaza, unexploded ordnance is buried under the rubble of buildings and poses a danger to civilians, who sometimes retrieve their belongings from underneath.