Clearing Gaza rubble could take 15 years, UN agency says
Al Jazeera
The war debris contains unexploded ordnance, harmful substances and bodies, according to a UN report.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) estimates that clearing the Gaza Strip of the rubble caused by Israel’s latest war on the Palestinian enclave will take 15 years.
The agency on Monday said the cleanup would require the removal of 40 million tonnes of rubble, citing an assessment by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).
“Debris poses a deadly threat for people in the Gaza Strip as it can contain unexploded ordnance and harmful substances,” UNRWA said, adding that its removal would require more than 100 trucks and cost more than $500m.
The UNEP said some of the debris is contaminated with asbestos, a toxic mineral that causes lung diseases, including cancer. It added that human remains are buried in a vast quantity of building debris.