Thousands of Unexploded Rockets Await Lebanese Civilians

|PIC1|Lebanese civilians and aid workers face even more dangers on their return home as experts fear that around 10 per cent of the 3,000 rockets, artillery shells, cluster bombs and other artillery being fired into Lebanon each day for the past 27 days of conflict remain unexploded.

The estimates leave returning civilians and aid workers exposed to around 7,000 unexploded munitions across the conflict zone.

Christian Aid’s security manager, Kiruja Micheni, who is currently in Beirut, said: “If there is a ceasefire, the 900,000 people believed to have fled the fighting will want to return home. But there is a danger that they could be injured or killed by unexploded ordnance, including cluster bombs.

“Aid workers too need to do proper risk assessments before setting up operations in the south. This ordinance will slow down the relief effort, but proper precautions must be taken.”

Andrew Gleeson of the UK-based Mines Action Group (MAG) said the ordnance would be highly unstable and could detonate easily if moved.

"The explosive material will deteriorate over time,” said the former British army bomb disposal expert. “Heat and rain will make the material less stable."

|AD|MAG is currently working together with the Lebanese government and the UN on a 12-week emergency action plan to deal with the worst of the problem once a ceasefire is agreed.

The crisis in Lebanon is set to worsen as the UN warned Monday that there was only enough fuel in the country to last another 7 or 8 days.

Christian Aid’s emergencies specialist and member of the ACT International Coordination Assessment Team, Dominic Nutt is currently in Beirut.

He warned: "If fuel runs out this will have a major effect on the displaced Lebanese population.

"Many are living in cramped conditions, in schools and other public buildings and rely on clean water which is brought in daily by trucks.

"If the fuel runs out, the water and food supply to these people will be cut resulting in the quick onset of disease."

Mr Nutt criticised the Israeli government for refusing to allow three ships off the Lebanese coast offload their urgently needed fuel cargo into the country.

“This is not acceptable," said Mr Nutt. "The Israeli government is morally and legally obliged to allow this fuel into the country."