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Fuel crisis halts UN aid to Gaza Fuel crisis halts UN aid to Gaza
(19 minutes later)
The United Nations has said it will have to suspend its humanitarian work in the Gaza Strip within hours unless it receives fresh fuel supplies.The United Nations has said it will have to suspend its humanitarian work in the Gaza Strip within hours unless it receives fresh fuel supplies.
Assistant Secretary General Angela Kane said the distribution of food aid to 650,000 refugees and the collection of sewage from 500,000 would cease.Assistant Secretary General Angela Kane said the distribution of food aid to 650,000 refugees and the collection of sewage from 500,000 would cease.
Israeli sanctions imposed in an attempt to force the Palestinian group Hamas to stop rocket fire have caused shortages.Israeli sanctions imposed in an attempt to force the Palestinian group Hamas to stop rocket fire have caused shortages.
But Israel says Hamas is deliberately preventing fuel from entering.But Israel says Hamas is deliberately preventing fuel from entering.
It says there are a million litres of fuel at a border terminal.It says there are a million litres of fuel at a border terminal.
The UN Security Council met to discuss the crisis, but Western representatives walked out over comments from Libya. Supplies 'exhausted'
They objected to the Libyan delegate likening Gaza to a Nazi death camp. In a briefing to the Security Council, Ms Kane said Gaza had suffered "heightened humanitarian distress" caused by closed border crossings with Israel and Egypt, the shortage of basic food and commodities, poor water supplies and sanitation.
Among the diplomats to leave the UN chamber in New York were representatives of the United States, Britain, France and Belgium. The terrorist regime in Gaza is deliberately attacking the crossings that supply the Gaza people with these important supplies Mark RegevIsraeli government spokesman More than 80% of Gaza's population rely on humanitarian assistance, with UN food aid going to about 1.1 million people. A high proportion of them are children.
The remarks comparing the situation in Gaza to the Nazi Holocaust of World War II were made by the Libyan ambassador to the UN, Giadalla Ettalhi. But Ms Kane warned that such assistance was now at risk of suspension because of the restrictions on vehicle fuel deliveries, which were tightened by Israel after Palestinian militants attacked the Nahal Oz fuel terminal earlier this month.
There have been no deliveries of petrol since 18 March and no deliveries of ordinary diesel since 2 April, according to UN officials.
"[The UN relief agency] Unrwa's fuel supplies will be exhausted on 24 April, and in an effort to save fuel, Unrwa has prioritised food distribution, solid waste removal, and sewage projects," she told the Security Council on Wednesday.
"Unless petrol is allowed in, Unrwa will discontinue its food assistance to 650,000 refugees, as well as its garbage collection services, which benefit half a million Gazans," she added.
"Another 500,000 Gazans are already living in 12 municipalities without any solid waste management capacity - largely due to the lack of fuel."
Hospitals and clinics will also run out of fuel within a week, she warned.
Strike
The fuel shortages have been compounded since 7 April by a strike by Gaza's fuel syndicate, which has been refusing to pick up about 1 million litres that Israel has pumped into the Nahal Oz fuel terminal, saying the quantity is insufficient.
Talks fail to hearten GazansGaza's humanitarian crisis
The boycott has not affected industrial diesel supplies to Gaza's main power station, which was within hours of shutting down on Wednesday morning until Israel agreed to allow deliver 1 million litres - enough to generate electricity for three days.
A spokesman for the Israeli government, Mark Regev, told the BBC that it was Hamas that was causing the fuel and humanitarian problems, not Israel.
"You have a situation where the Hamas regime in Gaza is deliberately holding up supplies for its own political reasons, which are difficult to understand," he said.
"But the truth is there's a very consistent pattern here. The oil terminal itself was deliberately targeted by Hamas just a few days ago, that was the second attack in that vicinity in a very short period of time," he added.
"The terrorist regime in Gaza is deliberately attacking the crossings that supply the Gaza people with these important supplies."
On a visit to Gaza on Wednesday, the UN special envoy Robert Serry, condemned the militant attacks, but also described Israel's policies "collective punishment". The UN Security Council meeting ended shortly after Ms Kane's statement, when Western representatives walked out in protest at comments made by the Libyan representative, Giadalla Ettalhi, who likened Gaza to a Nazi death camp.
Mr Ettalhi made the remark during a discussion on a draft statement expressing concern at the humanitarian situation in the coastal territory.
"A number of Council members were dismayed by the approach taken by Libya and do not believe that such language helps advance the peace process," British official Karen Pierce said of the rare protest."A number of Council members were dismayed by the approach taken by Libya and do not believe that such language helps advance the peace process," British official Karen Pierce said of the rare protest.
Libya is sponsoring a draft statement expressing concern at the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Power plant
In Gaza itself, the UN relief agency UNWRA has warned that its fuel supplies, needed for vehicles, will have run out by Thursday.
"Unless petrol is allowed in, UNRWA will discontinue its food assistance to 650,000 refugees, as well as its garbage collection services, which benefit half-a-million Gazans," UN Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Angela Kane told the Security Council. Talks fail to hearten GazansGaza's humanitarian crisis
"Another 500,000 Gazans are already living in 12 municipalities without any solid waste management capacity - largely due to the lack of fuel," she added.
However, Israel has allowed fuel to be delivered to the Gaza Strip's main power plant, averting the possibility that it would be forced to shut down imminently.
Palestinian officials had warned it would run out of fuel on Wednesday, plunging large areas into darkness.
The temporary resumption of deliveries followed mediation by the European Union, which pays for the fuel.
'Dire situation'
The UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, has said the humanitarian situation in the territory is increasingly dire and called the cutting of fuel supplies punitive and unacceptable.
Israel's policy of limiting fuel supplies is part of an attempt to force the Islamist movement, Hamas, which controls Gaza, to stop rocket fire into Israel. Rocket fire has dropped off recently but not ceased.
Fuel supplies have been more sporadic than usual recently due to attacks by militants on the Nahal Oz depot through which they pass.
About 120 megawatts out of the 200 megawatts of electricity used annually in Gaza are bought from and supplied by Israel directly.
A further 17 megawatts are supplied by Egypt, while 65 megawatts are produced by a power station in Gaza.
The last Israeli shipment of diesel and cooking oil to Gaza took place a week ago.
Are you in Gaza? What impact is the fuel embargo having on you? Send us your experiences by filling out the form below.Are you in Gaza? What impact is the fuel embargo having on you? Send us your experiences by filling out the form below.
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