Gazans break fasts on beach due to power crisis

As an electricity crisis continues to afflict the Gaza Strip, Muslim residents of the besieged coastal enclave are breaking their fasts on the beach, as the holy month of Ramadan enters its second week, Maan reported.

“Without any previous plans and preparations, my wife suggested that we take our homemade food and go to the beach because of power cut during Iftar time,” said Muhammad Salim from al-Shati refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip.

Like several other families, Salim and his five family members set out for the beach in Sheikh Ijlein south of Gaza City, in an effort to escape the extreme heat and poor lighting indoors.

Similarly, Islam Salim from Gaza City told Ma’an that “without electricity at home, it’s very difficult during Ramadan,” where residents in Gaza are abstaining from food and drink for up to 16 hours.

If it weren’t for transportation difficulties, Salim expressed that his family would break their fasts at the beach every day.

He added that the reason families like his prefer to eat “Iftar”, the sunset meal during Ramadan, by the beach, is the intolerable heat in their houses due to power cuts.

“Sometimes we have serious difficulties sleeping, so we stay at the beach until late into the night,” said Salim.

The densely populated Gaza strip requires an estimated 380 Megawatts of electricity to adequately supply its population of 1.9 million.

However, Gaza currently receives only 200 Megawatts from Gaza’s sole power plant, as well as Egyptian and Israeli grids.