Gaza threatened with humanitarian disaster in wake of power failure
Reageer (0)
8-8-2010
GAZA, (PIC)-- The Palestinian Ministry of Health warned that ongoing power outages and the shortage of filters, oils and other crucial equipment could lead to a real “humanitarian disaster” in the Gaza Strip.
Gaza Strip’s electric current shuts down for long hours, and there is a lack of filters, oils, and UPS machines (large-scale machines that can be linked with intensive care units) and dialysis machines in hospitals, while Israel prevented entering a huge UPS machine which was already fully paid-for.
Health Minister Dr. Bassem Naim, during his opening of a mother and child hospital in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip Sunday afternoon, said the energy crisis is “staged”, underscoring political decisions by certain parties who wish to pressure Gaza Strip’s people and exploit their suffering to prompt their surrender and to extract a political price from Haneyya’s government.
Naim refuted allegations by Abbas on financial dues on fuel needed to operate the only power plant in the Gaza Strip, stressing that Abbas’s government is not interested in ending the crisis at the moment.
He stressed that the Palestinian government is working hard to solve the electricity problem according to the interests of Palestinian citizens, and guarantees continued access of electricity to all the Palestinians.
He appealed to local and international organizations for immediate intervention in providing hospitals with electricity to preserve the lives of hundreds of patients on bed rest, warning that a major humanitarian disaster could abruptly take place in wake of neglecting the issue.
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