Charles Birch, known as Mungo, was working with his team in Gaza long before the 7 October conflict, clearing unexploded munitions from the occupied territory. He told Conor Lennon from UN News that all of their earlier work has been undone by the bombardments that have rained down on Gaza over the last six months.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length
Mungo Birch UNMAS has been in Gaza for about ten years. Before 7 October our primary operations were based in Gaza, and we also had smaller operations in the West Bank. In Gaza, what we primarily did, in terms of explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) work was clearing deeply buried aircraft bombs, and conducting explosive threats assessments of UN facilities after there was an escalation.
Clearing the bombs involved digging a shaft, between 10 and 15 metres underground, to get to them, then the head of operations, a man called Paddy McCabe, would go down the shaft, remove the fuse from the bomb, rendering it safe, and then remove it from the hole and pass it over for destruction.
UNMAS
UN News Prior to 7 October, how many unexploded ordnance bombs would you expect to find?
Mungo Birch We would clear about one deep buried aircraft bomb per month. Since the 2021 war between Hamas and Israel 21 deep buried aircraft bombs had been reported to us, and we had almost completed that work.
Obviously that work will have been completely undone by the conflict since October 7th, and the scale of the contamination will be such that it’s unlikely we’ll start looking into deep buried ordnance for some time. Most of our work will be focused on surface level ordnance.
UN News The eventual reconstruction of Gaza will be a monumental task. How important will ordnance removal be to that process?
Mungo Birch We work off the rule of thumb that 10 per cent of ordnance doesn’t function as designed. There’s now more rubble in Gaza than there is in Ukraine and as part of the rubble removal process, a huge task in itself, explosive ordnance clearance needs to be taken into account. This means years and years of work. It will be an unprecedented operation.
UN News What did October 7 mean for you and your team?
Mungo Birch I was the only international staff member in Gaza at that time, and I was with nine national staff members. The first week of the war I was in northern Gaza, in the UNRWA (UN Agency for Palestine refugees) compound. The bombardment was incredibly intense. Large, airdropped munitions and missiles, and barrages of Hamas rockets going out from Gaza. The bombardment was like nothing I’ve ever experienced.
The UN compound was never directly hit, but it was severely damaged by blasts. It was a dire situation. The national staff were spread across Gaza, and now they’re all in the south. Two have been evacuated, the other seven remain in Gaza and they continue to work. They’ve been unbelievably dedicated to their jobs under the most terrible circumstances imaginable.
At the moment there are four international staff in Gaza, who are providing support to UN convoys to the north: because of the political issues only international staff accompany the humanitarian convoys. They allow the convoys to get through unhindered by unexploded ordnance. Then our national staff conduct explosive ordnance risk education, which is a vital component of the mine action response in Gaza.
It’s incredible what the national staff are doing. They’ve really gone above and beyond what they need to do. Most of them have lost their homes. They’ve lost relatives and friends. It’s a terrible situation.
© WHO
A boy looks across his bombed out neighbourhood in Gaza.
UN News How difficult is it for you, as a team, to carry on through this?
Mungo Birch The only reason the team has held together is because we had an excellent dynamic before the war, and very dedicated colleagues. The national staff are hugely dedicated to the wider project, and it’s a real testament to them and their resilience. I’ve never seen anything like it.
UN News Looking ahead to the reconstruction, is there a big gap between what you need and the funds available?
Mungo Birch There’s a huge gap. We estimate that, to begin the clearance of Gaza, we need around $45 million. So far, we have $5.5 million in the pipeline. Hopefully donors will be more open to funding once the war ends, because we desperately need funds.
Elliot is an award-winning journalist passionate about international affairs and humanitarian causes. Elliot has covered stories from conflict zones and areas devastated by disasters, highlighting critical global issues.
It’s truly heart-wrenching to see the hard-earned progress in clearing unexploded bombs in Gaza being obliterated by the recent conflict. The amount of effort, time, and resources required to make the area safe again is immense. My heart goes out to all those working tirelessly to ensure the safety of civilians amidst such devastation.
Securing Gaza and clearing unexploded bombs is crucial for the safety of the people living in the region. It’s disheartening to see the hard work of teams like Mungo Birch’s being undone by the ongoing conflict. Immediate action and substantial funding are required to address this urgent issue and prevent further harm.
It’s heartbreaking to see all the efforts of dedicated teams like Mungo’s being undone by the constant bombardments in Gaza. The urgent need for funds to support their vital work cannot be understated. Every bomb cleared brings us one step closer to a safer future for the people in the region.
As someone who follows the situation in Gaza closely, it’s devastating to hear how all the efforts to clear unexploded munitions have been undone by the recent bombardments. The urgent need for funds to support this crucial work cannot be overstated.
It’s heartbreaking to hear how the hard work of dedicated individuals like Mungo Birch and his team in Gaza has been destroyed by the ongoing conflict. The urgent need for funding to clear these bombs and ensure the safety of civilians cannot be overstated.
It’s heartbreaking to see all the progress undone by the recent conflict. The effort put into clearing the bombs is commendable, but it’s disheartening to know that more resources will now be needed to address the aftermath of the bombardments. Let’s hope for a swift resolution and support those working tirelessly on the ground.
It’s heartbreaking to see the hard work of Mungo and his team in Gaza destroyed by the ongoing bombardments. The need for funds to clear the unexploded bombs is crucial to ensure the safety of the people in the region. Let’s hope for a swift resolution to this devastating situation.
I believe it’s crucial to continue supporting efforts like UNMAS in Gaza to clear unexploded munitions and ensure the safety of the local population. The recent conflict has brought about immense challenges, but with big bucks and dedication, progress can be made towards restoring safety and peace in the region.
It’s heartbreaking to see all the hard work of those like Mungo Birch and his team in Gaza completely unravel due to the ongoing conflict. The need for funds to clear unexploded bombs is crucial for the safety and recovery of the affected communities.
How difficult is it to clear deeply buried aircraft bombs in Gaza? Are there specific safety measures in place for such operations?
Clearing deeply buried aircraft bombs in Gaza is an extremely challenging task that requires meticulous planning and expert skills. Safety measures are paramount in such operations, with specialized teams like UNMAS following strict protocols to ensure the safety of their personnel and the surrounding areas.
Mungo Birch’s dedication to clearing unexploded munitions in Gaza is truly commendable. It’s disheartening to hear that all their hard work has been undone by the recent bombardments. The urgent need for funds to continue such vital efforts cannot be overstated.
As Megan_Smith, I believe the efforts of Mungo Birch and his team are truly commendable. It’s disheartening to see all their previous work undone by the recent bombardments in Gaza. The need for funds is crucial to continue clearing unexploded munitions and ensuring the safety of the people in the area.
In my opinion, the work of Mungo Birch and his team in Gaza is crucial in clearing unexploded munitions and ensuring the safety of the area. It’s disheartening to hear that all their efforts have been undone by the recent bombardments. The international community should come together to support funding for such necessary initiatives in conflict-affected regions.