Gaza faces electricity crisis over fuel shortage

The besieged Gaza strip is facing a humanitarian crisis as Palestinians residing in the coastal enclave remain without power due to nearly six years of Israeli blockade imposed on the territory. The humanitarian crisis facing Gaza has escalated as the only power plant in the Palestinian territory has stopped working since November 1 due to a severe fuel shortage. In recent months, fuel and electricity shortages in Gaza have worsened as the Egyptian military has blocked supply tunnels leading into the region. The underground tunnels serve as a lifeline for Gaza’s population of over 1.7 million, Press TV reported. Meanwhile, officials in Gaza say wastewater has poured into a neighborhood in the besieged enclave after a treatment facility stopped working due to fuel shortage. The treatment plant served 120,000 residents. The officials say other facilities may soon run out of fuel during long hours of power cuts. Gaza municipality has declared a state of emergency, and experts have warned of an environmental crisis. Gaza has been under the Israeli siege since 2007, a situation that has made the Palestinians desperately dependent on goods coming through the tunnels. The Palestinian Non-Governmental Organizations Network (PNGO), which represents more than 130 Palestinian civil society organizations, has called on the international community to end the continuous Israeli siege. Several human rights organizations and civil groups have also criticized the Egyptian army for preventing the people in Gaza from accessing most of their basic goods like construction materials, food, and fuel.