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400,000 tons of rubble, unexploded bombs still not removed from Gaza

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

London, Dec 1, IRNA -- British Foreign Secretary David Miliband has reported little progress on the reconstruction of Gaza nearly one year after the start of Israel’s latest invasion that led to the massacre of more than 1,400 Palestinians.

“Although clearance operations are now underway, an estimated 400,000 tons of rubble mixed with toxic materials and unexploded ordnance still need to be removed before reconstruction can begin,” Miliband said.

“Approximately 6,400 homes and 114 schools were destroyed or badly damaged during the 2008 conflict. Only limited reconstruction has taken place,” he said in a series of written parliamentary replies published Tuesday.

Last month, Home Office Minister Lord Brett revealed that the British government has been unable to meet its £20 million ($30m) pledge in March this year for reconstruction in Gaza due to the continuing Israeli siege.

“Due to restrictions on the entry of building materials into Gaza, the UK has not yet been able to spend any of the funding earmarked for reconstruction,” Brett said.

Miliband said that using cash handouts from UNRWA and the UN Development Programme, owners of around 50,000 lightly damaged homes are making repairs. but it was only able to “rebuild 180 fully destroyed homes” using materials already available in Gaza.

“The government remain extremely concerned about the very grave humanitarian situation in Gaza, particularly with the onset of the autumn rains and colder winter weather,” he said.

“Many people in Gaza have not been able to rebuild their homes since the conflict ended in January 2009. We continue to urge the Israeli Government to open the crossings into Gaza not only for humanitarian supplies, but also for reconstruction materials, commercial trade and people,” he told MPs.

International Development Minister Michael Foster also said that progress in addressing the ongoing water and sanitation crisis in Gaza has been “slowed due to prolonged delays in the clearance of these imports and other difficulties in the coordination process with the authorities.”

“It is estimated that 90-95 per cent of the water in the aquifer, from which Gaza draws its water, is contaminated with sewage, nitrates and sea water and does not meet drinking water quality standards,” Foster said.

Gaza’s power station, he further said, does not get enough fuel to run at full capacity, resulting in consistent shortages of mains electricity that has led to power cuts of four-five hours a day, four days a week for 90 per cent. of the population.

“In October the power station only received 65 percent of the 3.5 million litres of fuel needed to operate at its maximum capacity of 80 megawatts,” the minister revealed about the effects of Israel’s siege.