Gaza’s sole power plant running out of fuel

By Nour Abu Eisha

GAZA CITY, Palestine (AA) – The Gaza Strip’s sole power plant is poised to stop working on Sunday morning as it is running out of fuel, according to the enclave’s Energy and Natural Resources Authority.

The energy authority said Saturday the failure of the entry of Qatari fuel -- which supplies the power station -- into the blockaded Gaza since November 2 might mean Gaza will face a power outage by Sunday morning.

“The Qatari fuel supply to the Gaza power station has stopped since Nov. 2," a statement by the energy authority read, calling for “urgent intervention to allow entry of diesel” to avert the power plant stop working.

It also noted that the suspension of the power plant's operation “means that the percentage of the power supply deficit will reach about 70 percent."

Over the past years, Qatar has provided financial grants to finance the purchase of fuel for the power plant in Gaza.

According to the Israeli newspaper, Yedioth Ahronoth, the Qatari grant allocated to fuel the power station is about $10 million per month.

Since 2006, the Gaza Strip has groaned under a crippling Israeli blockade that has deprived its roughly two million inhabitants of many vital commodities, including food, fuel and medicine.

The Gaza Strip suffers a severe shortage in electricity supply. It needs about 500 megawatts but produces only 140 megawatts, according to an annual report issued by the power plant in 2020.

* Writing by Ibrahim Mukhtar in Ankara