GAZA: SOME FUEL SHIPMENTS; RAFAH REMAINS OPEN

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 000126 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE; NEA/IPA FOR GOLDBERGER/SHAMPAINE/BELGRADE; PRM FOR PRM/ANE; NSC FOR ABRAMS/PASCUAL; TREASURY FOR SZUBIN/LOEFFLER/NUGENT/HIRSON; BRUSSELS FOR LERNER; PLEASE PASS TO USAID FOR KUNDER/MCCLOUD/BORODIN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID ECON KPAL KWBG PGOV PHUM SUBJECT: GAZA: SOME FUEL SHIPMENTS; RAFAH REMAINS OPEN REF: A. JERUSALEM 122 ¶B. JERUSALEM 111 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Shipments of fuel continued on January 24 at the Nahal Oz fuel transfer station. The Gaza Power Plant reduced output to 45 MW on January 23 to save fuel, causing renewed power shortages throughout Gaza City and spurring hospitals to use their power generators. A growing number of water and sewage pumps are down due to a lack of fuel, and an estimated 40 percent of Gaza's population is without running water on January 24. No humanitarian shipments passed through Kerem Shalom crossing, which was closed on January ¶24. The Gaza-Egypt border at Rafah remains open to Palestinians moving in and out of Gaza. End summary. Some Fuel Shipments Made -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Director of the Palestinian Petroleum Corporation in Gaza Mujahid Salama told Econoff that the following fuel transfers were made at the Nahal Oz transfer station on January 24: - Industrial fuel for Gaza Power Plant - 315,000 liters - Diesel fuel - 120,000 liters - Gasoline - 20,000 liters - Cooking gas - 250 tons ¶3. (SBU) Vice Chairman of the Gaza Petroleum and Gas Station Owners Association Mahmoud Khozendar told Econoff on January 24 that his membership has continued to refuse to make diesel fuel deliveries within Gaza, as the fuel shipments have been for UNRWA and PA hospitals use only (ref B). The January 24 receipt of 120,000 liters of diesel fuel at Nahal Oz was destined for use at UNRWA facilities and PA hospitals, but the shipment was moved to a storage facility on the Gaza side of Nahal Oz together with the January 22 diesel shipment of 250,000 liters. ¶4. (SBU) Gaza-based NGO contacts said that Kerem Shalom crossing was closed on January 24, while 10 truckloads of aid from Jordan passed through Sufa crossing. Power Plant Reduces Output -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Gaza Power Plant Project Manager Rafiq Maliha told Econoff on January 24 that he decided to reduce the Plant's power output from 65 MW to 45 MW on January 23, in order to save fuel. He said that the Israeli fuel company Dor told him that they had received instructions from the Israel Ministry of Defense to deliver another 315,000 liters of industrial fuel on January 25. If the January 25 shipment is made, the Plant will have enough fuel to produce 45 MW until January 27. Health Care Professionals Working Additional Hours -------------- ¶6. (SBU) WHO National Health Officer in Gaza Mahmoud Daher said on January 24 that major Gaza hospitals have been forced to use their diesel fuel-powered generators since the Power Plant reduced output on January 23 from 65 MW to 45 MW to save fuel. Daher said that health care workers have worked many extra hours in recent days to meet the growing needs of Gaza patients, as electrically-driven machines are not used when possible to save power. Growing Problems With Pumps -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Gaza Coastal Municipalities Water Utility engineer Monther Shoblak said on January 24 that the Gaza water and sewage situation has grown much worse in the last 24 hours. Shoblak estimated that 20 of 35 municipal sewage pumps are not operating due to a lack of fuel (three others are down and in need of spare parts). He told Econoff that that roughly 85 of 138 municipal water pumps are down due to a lack of fuel. Shoblak said that, since January 22, he has had to allow 40,000 cubic meters per day of sewage to flow into the sea, as operational pumps in Gaza City cannot move all the sewage to wastewater treatment facilities. JERUSALEM 00000126 002 OF 002 ¶8. (SBU) Monther said that electric pumps in northern Gaza, which rely on electricity from the Israel Electricity Company (IEC),are not operating on January 24 due to a lack of electricity. He added that he did not know how or why those electricity flows had been cut. Monther estimated that 40 percent of Gaza residents are without running water in their homes on January 24. Border Open At Rafah -------------- ¶9. (U) Press reports state that many thousands of Palestinians continue to move freely in and out of Gaza at the Gaza-Egypt border of Rafah. There continue to be no effective border controls as of January 24, according to local press reports. WALLES