WEST BANK/GAZA, 2 December 2008 (IRIN) - Adel Abu Sido, 31, a taxi driver from
Gaza City, stands over his two-week old premature baby, Hadil, dreading her air
supply may abruptly stop.
Hadil's incubator is not reliably providing enough oxygen due to the
inconsistent power supply at Al-Shiffa Hospital, the main healthcare centre in
the Gaza Strip.
The fuel for hospital generators has nearly run out and a shortage of basic
medical supplies has left Al-Shiffa with only 20 percent of the oxygen supply it
needs, forcing medical professionals in Gaza to make hard choices, said Gaza
health ministry spokesperson Hamam Nasman.
"Fifty percent of hospital equipment at Al-Shiffa has stopped functioning due to
the lack of electricity and spare parts since this more than 20-day blockade
started," said Gaza health minister Basem Naim, adding that 95 basic medications
are out of stock.
Asthma patients waiting for inhalers are being turned away, as hospital
pharmacists scavenge local pharmacies.
"Al-Shiffa Hospital is using its secondary generator nearly 20 hours a day to
power the hospital, since there is not enough fuel in stock to operate the
primary generator," said spokesperson Nasman. Under normal circumstances the
secondary generator has the capacity to power the hospital only three hours a
day.
Israeli Defence Ministry spokesperson Shlomo Dror said: "The fuel supply to Gaza
was only interrupted for three days to send a political signal to Hamas that the
lull is not going to continue while they encourage shooting at civilians."
Israel is interested in continuing the ceasefire, he said.
Washing machines - used to sterilize sheets and uniforms - have stopped due to
the lack of fuel at the hospital.
Rolling blackouts
Rolling blackouts are now common across Gaza, particularly in Gaza City, the
largest population centre. Hundreds of thousands are left without electricity
during winter, which means no water for many residents who live in high-rise
buildings dependent on electric water pumps.
Israel sealed all commercial and passenger border crossings to Gaza on 4
November, when an Israeli military incursion into Gaza prompted Palestinian
militants to resume daily rocket-fire into Israeli towns. Before the Israeli
ground operation to locate a tunnel, a five-month Egyptian- brokered ceasefire
had been largely holding.
Israel has restricted imports into Gaza, including food, fuel, medical supplies
and other basic necessities despite the truce, which calls on militants to halt
rocket attacks in return for Israel easing its embargo on the territory.
"This time throughout this whole truce since June none of us have been able to
bring in anything extra that would create a reserve so we had nothing to call
upon," said Karen Abu Zayd, commissioner-general of UNRWA, the UN Palestinian
refugee agency.
According to the
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Gaza is
running on less than half the electricity it requires for normal consumption, a
result of the blockade on fuel and mechanical parts.
Impact on water, sewage
The lack of fuel and electricity has caused water and sewage systems in Gaza to
collapse.
The Coastal Municipal Water Utility (CMWU) in Gaza has said that due to the
power outages and the lack of fuel, 20 percent of wells are not functional and
60 percent are only partially functional. Furthermore, malfunctioning sewage
systems have raised concerns about possible flooding and leakage during the
forthcoming rainy season.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
Navi Pillay called for an immediate end to Israel's blockade of the Gaza
Strip on 18 November, which she said breached international and humanitarian
law.
