Posted on?14 June 2017
Gaza blackout. Photo by Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµICEF SoP / ElBaba, 2017
The Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ Humanitarian Coordinator in the occupied Palestinian territory, Robert Piper, warned today about the disastrous consequences of a further reduction in electricity-supply to the Gaza Strip on the living conditions of two million Palestinians. He called upon the Palestinian Authority, Hamas and Israel to put the welfare of Gaza¡¯s residents first and to take the necessary measures to avoid further suffering. The Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ has already appealed to the international community to support its limited humanitarian efforts to prevent the collapse of vital life-saving, health, water, sanitation and municipal services.
Early this week, the Israeli cabinet agreed to a reduction in the supply of electricity to the Gaza Strip, following a decision by the Palestinian Authority to reduce its monthly payments for that supply by 30 per cent.
If, as a result of the Palestinian Authority¡¯s instructions, this decision is implemented the situation will become catastrophic. The reduction will bring most households and service-providers down to 2 hours or so of power per day.
Hospitals, water supply, waste water treatment and sanitation services have already been dramatically curtailed since mid-April and depend almost exclusively on a Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ emergency fuel operation. An additional reduction in electricity will require the delivery of one million litres of fuel monthly, under the Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ operation, to keep minimum functions operating at 186 essential facilities across the Strip.
¡°A further increase in the length of blackouts is likely to lead to a total collapse of basic services, including critical functions in the health, water and sanitation sectors,¡± Mr. Piper said. ¡°The people in Gaza should not be held hostage to this longstanding internal Palestinian dispute,¡± he added.
Document Sources: Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for the OPT
Subject: Assistance, Environmental issues, Gaza Strip, Health, Living conditions, Water
Publication Date: 14/06/2017
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Gaza blackout. Photo by Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµICEF SoP / ElBaba, 2017