Gaza Power-Plant To Stop Functioning Friday

Friday June 25, 2010 09:05 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Engineer Canaan Obeid, deputy head of the Gaza Power Authority, stated that the only power plant in the Gaza Strip will stop functioning on Friday evening as it will run out of the fuel needed to run it.

Gaza Power Plant

He held the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank responsible for the “the dangerous outcome of this crisis”.

Obeid said that the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank claims that the authority in Gaza, run by Hamas, is collecting money from the residents but not sending the funds to the West Bank to buy fuel needed to run the generators.

He added that the authority in Gaza transferred the amount of 2 Million USD last Thursday.

In an interview with the Hamas-affiliated Palestine Information Center, Obeid said that the electricity crisis in the Gaza Strip is caused by the lack of fuel as less amounts of fuel are allowed into Gaza while the power plant needs more fuel in order to run.

Obeid added that Israel used to allow 2,200 cubic meters every week but reduced the amount to 700, an issue that forced the power plant to run in half capacity producing 25 megawatts instead of 50.

He further stated that the Ministry of Finance in the West Bank did not abide by initiatives presented by independent figures in order to allow the transfer of industrial fuel to Gaza.

Obeid demanded the Power and National Resources Authority in the West Bank to pressure the Ministry of Finance in order to transfer the needed amounts of fuel.

gaza strip | gaza siege | news report saed at imemc dot org