The Gaza Strip's only functioning power plant has shut down after running out of fuel, leaving two million people in the Hamas-governed Palestinian territory with only six hours of electricity a day. Samir Metir, head of Gaza's electricity provider, told AFP news agency that all the plant's fuel, purchased with funding from Qatar and Turkey, had been used up. He said it was not clear when the territory would receive another shipment, owing to a "dispute" between the electricity authority in Gaza and Fatah-led Palestinian Authority (PA) in the West Bank.
Hamas seized power in Gaza in 2007 from Fatah, the party of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. A mooted power-sharing agreement between the two factions in Gaza has failed to materialise, and residents have been subjected to a decade-long Israeli blockade, strangling the local economy and severely limiting supplies. Metir said the power plant cannot afford to pay the enormous fuel taxes imposed by the PA.
Protests broke out in January over the power shortages, which the Gaza health ministry said could have "dangerous consequences" for patients in hospitals. The crisis was resolved by tax-free donations from Qatar and Turkey, which ran out last week. But now the PA is no longer willing to waive the fuel for Gaza. Fuel supply for Gaza's two million inhabitants has been a long-running source of dispute, with most homes in the territory receiving two eight-hour periods of electricity a day even when the power plant is operating normally. As things stand, residents can expect two six-hour periods of electricity, Metir said, "including electricity bought from Israel and Egypt".
Source: Aljazeera
No comments:
Post a Comment