GAZA, June 30, 2010 (WAFA)- On the night of Friday 25 June, the Gaza power plant was completely shut down as fuel needed to operate it was not sent, leaving an energy deficit of 60% for the entire Gaza Strip. The severe shortage has resulted in up to 16-hour daily blackouts in all areas. Gaza is supplied with 120 megawatts coming from Israeli power lines and 17 megawatts from Egyptian power lines, with a demand for an extra 300 megawatts unmet now that the power plant is no longer functioning at required levels, Oxfam said.
In its weekly report, Oxfam said that due to high summer temperatures the demand for electricity has increased, thus widening the power deficit. These cuts affect all spheres of daily life, as they prevent adequate refrigeration of food, water pumping and air conditioning. This has also hinder the provision of essential services. Figures released by the Gaza Electricity Distribution Company (GEDCO) show that in January – the first month of the electricity crisis after the EU stopped funding fuel for the power plant at the end of November 2009 – an average of 1.87 million liters of fuel were transferred to Gaza weekly. Last week, a meager 586,800 liters were delivered to the plant.
According to Oxfam partner Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR), an agreement was reached last April between GEDCO and the Ramallah-based Palestinian Energy Authority, under the auspices of Palestinian actors. The agreement stipulated that the Ramallah authority would pay NIS 36 million monthly for Gaza’s industrial fuel while GEDCO would transfer the amount of the paid bills remaining after deducting operational costs.
According to PCHR, both the Palestinian Authority (PA) in Ramallah and Hamas authorities in Gaza have been accusing each other of defaulting on payments for the fuel needed to run the Gaza plant, while GEDCO claimed it was sending its revenues collected from Gaza to the PA. At the same time, GEDCO claims that at least 60% of consumers have not been paying their accumulating electricity bills since 2000, amounting to NIS 3 billion.
“Thousands of beneficiaries, including public figures, politicians, businesspeople, traders and employees in governmental and non-governmental organizations do not pay accumulated debts owed to the company although they can pay,” PCHR said. “They believe the European Union provides the Gaza Power Plant with industrial fuel for its operations, which has encouraged them to abstain from paying electricity bills,” Oxfam said.
Meanwhile GEDCO said in a statement it was “aware” of the risks and impacts of the severe shortage, “especially the water supply sector, health services and medical facilities and all essential basic and humanitarian” services. It said that for as long as the crisis endures, it will distribute the available 137 megawatts to the entire Gaza Strip under an emergency program by connecting each area to the grid for six hours, followed by 12-hour blackouts. “This will be repeated again and again until any major changes to the amount of available energy,” the company said.
Oxfam calls on all the Palestinian Authority (PA) to urgently resolve the ongoing electricity crisis with the utmost transparency. The PA should work with all relevant Palestinian actors and with international donors - mainly the European Union - in order to immediately put an end to this crisis that adds to the suffering of the civilian population.
Palestinians were reported killed and one injured this week after an Israeli aircraft fired three missiles at tunnels, whereas 1 Palestinian was reported killed and 7 reported injured last week as a result of IDF fire. No Israeli casualties were reported this week or last week.
Since the beginning of 2010, 31 Palestinians (including nine civilians), three Israeli soldiers and one foreign national have been killed in the context of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in the Gaza Strip and southern Israel. Another 124 Palestinians (including 107 civilians) and five Israeli soldiers have been injured.
The Rafah border crossing with Egypt was officially open this week for medical cases, students and those with visas for third countries. Following the death of civilians aboard the Gaza flotilla, Egyptian authorities exceptionally opened the border in both directions for humanitarian cases and aid for an unspecified period of time. During the 7 days Rafah remained open this week, 1,978 people left Gaza, 2,502 entered, and 405 were refused entry to Egypt. Last week Rafah was also open for 7 days and 2,084 people left Gaza, 1,953 entered Gaza and 511 were refused entry to Egypt. There has been a huge rise in the number of people crossing: the week before the attack on the Gaza flotilla and the opening of the Rafah border, 45 people left Gaza, 748 entered and 2 were refused entry to Egypt.
Limited quantities of construction materials continued to enter Gaza. 32 truckloads of wood, 1 truckload of glass, 4 truckloads of aluminum and 41 truckloads of gravel were permitted entry into Gaza this week. Last week 16 truckloads of wood were allowed in. In addition, 41 truckloads of clothing and footwear and 6 truckloads of agricultural fertilizer entered Gaza (50 truckloads of clothing and footwear were allowed in last week).
New non-food items have been allowed into Gaza this week, including fishing tools (not including boats and boat motors), children’s furniture and car spare parts. However food and hygiene items still made up the majority of imported goods. Entry of other major essential goods, including materials for reconstruction, furniture, livestock, IT equipment and vehicles, remain either restricted to limited quantities, or barred from entry.
Pre-blockade weekly average (2,807 truckloads) is calculated based on the monthly average of all truckloads that entered during the first five months of 2007, before Israel’s imposition of the blockade
Previously, Oxfam used a baseline based on the number of trucks in the month prior to the blockade. Oxfam has now adopted this new baseline, also used by OCHA, as we believe it provides a better basis of comparison.
