The United Kingdom has announced a $5 million contribution to support international efforts aimed at removing unexploded ordnance in Gaza, where remnants of war continue to obstruct humanitarian aid delivery.
The funding for the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) will help “surge in” experts to clear landmines, cluster bombs, and munitions dropped during the war. According to a government statement cited by Agence France-Presse (AFP), the initiative seeks to address the estimated 7,500 tons of unexploded munitions scattered across the territory.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper emphasized the strategic importance of the clearance operation, stating: “Removing the unexploded ordnance to allow more aid into Gaza is a vital component of the recently US-brokered ceasefire agreement.”
Earlier this month, the humanitarian organization Handicap International estimated that approximately 70,000 tons of explosives have been dropped on Gaza since the outbreak of hostilities following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
