2.3 million people face survival crisis as only one power plant stops
UN only has enough capacity to provide 12 days’ worth of food for 180,000 people
A security guard in the Gaza Strip, Palestine, runs into a hospital holding a baby injured in an Israeli military bombing on the 11th (local time). Gaza City/AFP Yonhap News
The only power plant in the Gaza Strip, Palestine, which is completely blockaded by Israel, stopped operating on the 11th (local time) due to lack of fuel. In the aftermath, drinking water supply and hospital operations were disrupted, and all 2.3 million residents faced a survival crisis. Residents are lamenting, “There is no place to escape, no place to escape.” Al Jazeera and other broadcasters reported that the Gaza Strip Energy Agency issued a statement that day, saying, “The only power plant in Gaza ceased operation at 2 p.m. that day.” The Energy Agency expressed concern that “the shutdown of the power plant will plunge the entire Gaza Strip into darkness and make it impossible to provide essential services that depend on electricity,” and added, “Such a disaster situation will push all Gaza residents into a humanitarian crisis.” .
■ Doctors Without Borders: “Healthcare system will collapse this week”
The Energy Agency said Israel’s retaliation for Hamas’ surprise attack was “the worst crime in modern history of mass abuse of defenseless civilians” and urged the international community to take action to stop “crimes against humanity and genocide.” Israel has been building a separation wall between the Gaza Strip and Israel and restricting the passage of residents. After the surprise attack by Hamas on the 7th, the passage of residents was completely banned. Then, on the 9th, a complete blockade was declared, including cutting off electricity, gas, water, and food supplies. The Associated Press reported that hospitals were in a serious crisis as power supply was completely cut off. Mathias Kenneth, a field worker for Doctors Without Borders, said Al Shifa Hospital, the largest hospital in Gaza, only had three days’ worth of fuel left for power generation. He added that both hospitals run by Doctors Without Borders in Gaza are running low on medical equipment, including surgical equipment and antibiotics. Ghassan Abu Sitta, a reconstructive surgeon at the hospital, said there were 50 patients waiting for surgery. “We are already over our limit,” he said. He feared that the health care system would completely collapse by the end of the week. The Red Crescent, a relief organization, predicted that generators at other hospitals would also stop operating due to lack of fuel within the next five days. Tamara Alifai, spokeswoman for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), said that as many as 250,000 people are flocking to schools built by the United Nations in search of refuge, and that relief facilities are already full. It is reported that the UN currently only has the capacity to provide food and water to approximately 180,000 people for 12 days. “With roads blocked, phone lines down, and communication networks blocked by bombings, it’s hard to understand what’s going on,” said Jennifer Austin, the relief agency’s deputy field director. “It’s unprecedented to rely on the hands of other refugees to help refugees.” “We were faced with a situation where there was no one,” he said. Reuters reported that the fear among residents who flocked to the school reached a peak, with some staying awake outside for fear that the building would collapse due to bombing. Yamen Hamad, 35, a mother of four, said, “I have lived through wars and raids in the past, but I have never seen anything as terrible as this war.”
■ The family of a pregnant woman who died after avoiding danger
Allah al-Kafarneh, 31, who lived in the northern area close to the Israeli border, complained that there was nowhere safe. He said that on the 7th, he and his family, including his pregnant wife and his father, went to a refugee camp on the beach farther from the border, but that place was also bombed, so they had to flee again, and all died in the bombing on the 10th. He lamented, “I faced death while avoiding danger.” The United Nations and Egypt called for the opening of channels necessary for humanitarian aid. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said the supply of vital essentials to save lives must be allowed, adding, “There is an immediate need for immediate and unhindered access.” “Citizens must be protected,” said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN Secretary-General. “I hope there will be no mass exodus of Gaza residents,” he said. An Egyptian security official said convoys of food and fuel were waiting near the Lafah checkpoint linking Gaza and Egypt, but were unable to enter. Senior Reporter Shin Ki-seop marishin@hani.co.kr
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2023-10-12 02:37:29
