Region | Palestinian Territories
Plant closes due to fuel shortage
The closure led to widespread blackouts for Gaza's 1.7 million inhabitants
- Reuters
- Published: 00:00 February 16, 2012
Gaza: The Gaza Strip's only power station, which supplies the Palestinian enclave with up to two-thirds of its energy needs, was expected to be shut down on Wednesday because of a shortage of fuel smuggled in from neighbouring Egypt.
The closure led to widespread blackouts for Gaza's 1.7 million inhabitants. The local power company warned that households would receive only six hours of electricity a day until the problem was resolved.
Gaza's Energy Authority, which is run by Hamas, said "measures taken" on the Egyptian side of the border meant not enough fuel was entering the territory.
Alternative
It did not provide further details. Some local experts said Hamas had mismanaged Gaza's power needs by failing to provide a viable alternative to the precarious smuggling routes.
The Gaza power plant needs 600,000 litres of fuel a day to keep running, but the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) said only 340,000 litres had arrived from Egypt since Friday, with no reserve stocks left in Gaza to cover the shortfall.
Abu Al Amrain, information director at the Energy Authority urged Egypt to allow more fuel into Gaza.
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