UK honors Humanity & Inclusion mine clearance team for Gaza work

Seven Humanity & Inclusion staff received the UK Humanitarian Medal for mine clearance and explosive ordnance disposal work in Gaza, becoming the first EOD team to get the award. Their work helped clear humanitarian sites, guide aid convoys and warn civilians about unexploded ordnance in one of the world’s most dangerous conflict zones.

Why it matters: - The award recognizes frontline mine clearance work that helps civilians, aid workers and humanitarian operations move more safely in Gaza. - The seven-person team is the first Explosive Ordnance Disposal team to receive the UK Humanitarian Medal. - The honor underscores how unexploded ordnance continues to threaten people long after airstrikes and fighting.

What happened: - Seven Humanity & Inclusion staff received the Humanitarian Medal, approved by HM The King, for lifesaving work in Gaza. - The recipients are Glenn Cripps, Simon Elmont, David Hilton, John Montgomery, Rhiain Moses, Gary Toombs and Daniel Young. - The team attended a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace in May, and the medals have now been received. - UK Minister of State for International Development Kirsty McNeill praised the recipients as people who put themselves in harm’s way to support crisis response.

The details: - Humanity & Inclusion works with disabled and vulnerable people affected by poverty, conflict and disaster and specializes in humanitarian mine clearance and Explosive Ordnance Disposal. - The group worked on Humanity & Inclusion’s emergency response protecting civilians in Gaza. - From October 2023 to February 2026, the team provided EOD support to help protect civilians and aid workers. - The team conducted 186 explosive hazard assessments of humanitarian sites, including hospitals, shelters and spaces for internally displaced people. - The team escorted humanitarian convoys delivering aid supplies across the Gaza Strip. - The team also ran 57,000 Explosive Ordnance Risk Education sessions. - Those sessions reached more than 700,000 people, including more than 700 humanitarian staff. - Humanity & Inclusion said the risk from UXO remains lethal for a long time because people are living among rubble and unexploded ordnance. - The conflict has left an estimated 70,000 tonnes of explosives in the Gaza Strip since the start of the war, according to the release.

Between the lines: - The medal gives formal recognition to a type of humanitarian work that is often invisible but essential to getting aid to people safely. - The fact that the team is the first of its kind to be honored suggests mine action is being treated as a core part of humanitarian response, not a side task. - The scale of the education outreach shows the response focused not only on clearance, but also on reducing risk for communities that will face UXO danger for years. - Gary Toombs said the award reflects the commitment of colleagues, partners and humanitarian professionals working in dangerous conditions. - Simon Elmont said he accepted the award on behalf of the wider team supporting Humanity & Inclusion’s Gaza response. - Tom Shelton called the recognition a landmark for the organization’s EOD teams and local colleagues in Gaza.

What's next: - Humanity & Inclusion says its work in Gaza and similar crisis zones will continue as long as explosive hazards threaten civilians and aid delivery. - The organization said Gary Toombs, Simon Elmont and Tom Shelton are available for interviews. - Photos from the Buckingham Palace event and of the medal are available.

The bottom line: - The UK medal puts a spotlight on mine clearance teams whose work helps make humanitarian aid possible in one of the world’s most dangerous environments.