Humanitarian Mine Action to Reduce Explosive Risks Faced by Civilians ltpgtltbrgtIn response to the unprecedented scale of ltspangtexplosive remnants of war (lt/spangtltspangtERW) contamination as result of the conflict between the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and militant groups in Gaza that started on 7 October, and requests from the Humanitarian Coordinator, UNRWA and Protection Cluster, UNMAS Palestine will implement a project to mitigate the threat of ERW in Gaza to enhance safety for vulnerable populations, as well as for UN and humanitarian partners, through delivery of explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) response, explosive ordnance risk education (EORE) and conflict preparedness and protection (CPP).lt/spangtlt/pgtltpgtExplosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) response: UNMAS Palestine will conduct EOD emergency response at UN premises, including UN and humanitarian operation sites, as well as civilian locations. This includes the classification of areas as in terms of the suspected presence of unexploded ordnance (UXO) and ERW and site-specific risk assessments in advance of rubble removal activities and other sites such as access road to critical infrastructure and locations used for the delivery of humanitarian assistance. When conditions have improved sufficiently, UNMAS will render safe ERW. UNMAS will also oversee compilation and analysis of information detailing explosive contamination per Governorates according to humanitarian assistance priorities, and the planning and coordination, implementation, and quality assurance of the EOD operations, and coordination with UN and humanitarian partners, the Israeli Ministry of Defence and other relevant counterparts, as required. These activities are crucial for the safety of civilians and of UN agencies and humanitarian partners. UNMAS Palestine will focus on schools, medical facilities, rubble removal sites, etc, and will coordinate with and be guided by the priorities of the Protection Cluster and the UN Country Team.ltbrgtExplosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE): UNMAS Palestine will deliver lifesaving EORE messages targeting the at-risk population across the Gaza Strip, who are at heightened risk of encountering and being injured by ERW. In Gaza, EORE sessions will be delivered to civilians via two modalities: 1) ‘community sessions’ in community-based centres across Gaza 2) ‘street visits’ to populations that are especially at risk, such as returning internally displaced persons (IDPs), scrap metal collectors and rubble removal workers. EORE sessions will also be provided to staff of UN and humanitarian partners to ensure safe delivery of humanitarian responses. UNMAS Palestine will also run mass media campaigns to spread digital EORE messages via radio, SMS and social media to broadly and quickly reach targeted audiences, which is also effective and efficient during escalations of conflict. In addition, UNMAS Palestine will conduct ToT sessions on EORE for UN and humanitarian partners to develop their capacity to deliver EORE to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of dissemination of EORE messages.ltbrgtConflict Preparedness and Protection (CPP): CPP activities are designed to empower civilians to assess risk and make decisions to better protect themselves and their families in the face of crossfire and air strikes, as well as to quickly respond to emergency situations resulting from use of explosive weapons, including traumatic injuries and fires. The primary target audience for CPP are women who are not usually engaged in training or provided with updated safety information and resources despite being the ones most often responsible for protecting their children and homes from the impact of hostilities. Along with women, Emergency Shelter staff, the staff of NGOs , and family centres will also be prioritised. The CPP sessions will be delivered in a classroom setting such as at IDP shelters or at community centres in Gaza and will include practical lessons on how to reduce bleeding, how to use a fire extinguisher, and how to evacuate safely.ltbrgtlt/pgt