Electricity crisis in Gaza intensifies during Ramadan

chronic electricity shortage in Gaza is primarily result of Zionist regime’s siege

For the past three years Gazans have dealt with an increased strain on their power grid during the month of Ramadan, usually eating their two meals (one at dusk and another at dawn) in the dark, Ma’an reported.

The chronic electricity shortage in Gaza is primarily the result of Zionist regime’s ongoing siege of the Gaza Strip.

The only power plant in Gaza was bombarded in 2006 by an Zionist regime’s airstrike. While subsequent repairs have brought the plant back into working order, it operates at only two-thirds capacity because Zionist regime restricts the amount of European Union-supplied industrial fuel allowed through the Nahal Oz crossing point. Diesel smuggled from Egypt is of insufficient quality to fuel the plant. The power plant’s total output is 55 megawatts.

About a year and a half ago Egypt built a line to carry electricity into the Rafah and Khan Younis districts, in the southern Gaza Strip, which provides 17 megawatts.

Zionist regime provides 120 megawatts through land power lines to cover the northern and eastern regions of the Gaza Strip. Still, the grid suffers from a permanent shortage of 30% of the needed power supply prompting the power authority and electric company to schedule regular power cuts for eight hours a day.

During Ramadan this problem is exacerbated because Palestinians preparing their evening meal all do so around the same time of the afternoon causing the grid to overload and outages to occur.

According to Kanan Ubeid, deputy chief of the Palestinian Energy Authority, “This power crisis can be solved either by increasing the shipment of fuel donated by the EU, or enlarging the Egyptian line to increase its capacity.”