The Gaza Strip is filled with more war debris and rubble than Ukraine, the head of UN demining operations for the narrow Palestinian territory said Wednesday.
And the danger for clearance work is restricted not just to unexploded ordnance but includes possible exposure to toxic substances such as asbestos.
The United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) estimated the amount of debris in Gaza at 37 million tonnes in mid-April, or 300 kilogrammes per square metre.
"Gaza has more rubble than Ukraine, and to put that in perspective, the Ukrainian front line is 600 miles (nearly 1,000 kilometres) long, and Gaza is 25 miles (40 km) long," said Mungo Birch, head of the UNMAS programme in the Palestinian territories.
But the sheer volume of rubble is not the only problem, said UNMAS.
"This rubble is likely heavily contaminated with UXO (unexploded ordnance), but its clearance will be further complicated by other hazards in the rubble," Birch told journalists.
"There's estimated to be over 800,000 tonnes of asbestos, for instance, alone in the Gaza rubble." The cancer-causing mineral used in construction requires special precautions when handling.
Birch said he hoped UNMAS, which works to mitigate the threats posed by all types of explosive ordnance, would become the coordination body for mine action in Gaza.
It has secured $5 million of funding but needs a further $40 million to continue its work in Gaza over the next 12 months.
However, "the sector as a whole will need hundreds of millions of US dollars over multiple years in order to make Gaza safe again for the population", Birch added.
The Gaza war started after Hamas's October 7 attack on southern Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.
Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 34,568 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Featured Video Of The Day
Joe Biden Bowed Out Of Presidential Race: Can Kamala Harris Win Nomination?
Hamas Announces Deal With Palestinian Rivals For 'National Unity' In Beijing Dozens Killed As Israel Announces Evacuation Order In South Gaza "Israel's Enemies Know...": Netanyahu On US Ties After Biden's Poll Exit Budget 2024 LIVE: Nirmala Sitharaman's Mega Jobs, Tax Announcements In Union Budget New Tax Regime Slabs Changed, Standard Deduction Up From Rs 50,000 To 75,000 Will Old Tax Regime Be Scrapped Next Year? What Finance Minister Said CUET UG 2024 Retest Provisional Answer Key For July 19 Exam Released "Security Ko Bulao": Chief Justice Blasts Lawyer Interrupting NEET Hearing Will Old Tax Regime Be Scrapped Next Year? What Finance Minister Said Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.