GAZA: LIMITED SHIPMENTS ARRIVE, POWER PLANT DOWN,

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 002201 SIPDIS NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE; NEA/IPA FOR GOLDBERGER/HOLMSTROM/LENTZ; PRM FOR PRM/ANE; NSC FOR PASCUAL; PLEASE PASS TO USAID FOR KUNDER/MCCLOUD/BORODIN E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/04/2013 TAGS: ECON EAID PHUM KWBG ETRD IS SUBJECT: GAZA: LIMITED SHIPMENTS ARRIVE, POWER PLANT DOWN, NO COOKING GAS REF: JERUSALEM 2172 Classified By: Consul General Jake Walles, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (SBU) Summary: A limited amount of food, humanitarian supplies, and fuel entered Gaza on December 3. Shipments included much-needed chlorine for the water system. The Gaza power plant received one day of fuel supplies, but did not restart, pending receipt of additional fuel. Hospitals continue to function, albeit in poor conditions, according to WHO contacts. The lack of cooking gas prevents families from cooking properly or heating their homes. End summary. Restricted amounts of humanitarian and fuel supplies enter Gaza -------------- ¶2. (SBU) UN OCHA contacts report that Gaza crossings were opened for a limited time on December 3, as the GOI allowed restricted quantities of food, medicine, and fuel to enter. Thirty-two truckloads of food and humanitarian supplies, including a shipment of chlorine for the water and sanitation utility, were allowed into Gaza at the Kerem Shalom crossing that day, while 32 truckloads of wheat and animal feed were transferred into Gaza at the Karni/al-Mintar conveyer belt, according to UN contacts. Power plant contacts reported to Econoff that 394,000 liters of industrial fuel were shipped to the plant via Nahal Oz fuel transfer station on December ¶3. ¶3. (SBU) The Gaza crossings were closed on December 4, including Kerem Shalom, Sufa, and Nahal Oz. Erez was open December 2-4 to around 15 medical cases/day and certain UN and NGO employees. Journalists were also allowed to enter, according to contacts and press reports. Power plant down, waiting for sufficient fuel supplies -------------- -------------- ¶4. (SBU) The Gaza power plant has not re-started operations, despite receiving fuel on December 3. The plant's chief engineer told Econoff on December 2 that plant management needs to wait until it has sufficient fuel in storage to operate for at least five days, as frequent shutdowns have damaged parts and increased service costs. The plant shut down three times in November for a lack of fuel. Hospital operations stable, amidst "worst ever" conditions -------------- -------------- ¶5. (SBU) WHO Gaza representatives reported on December 4 that hospital operations in Gaza are generally stable, although conditions are "the worst ever." Hospital infrastructure and services have slowly deteriorated over the last year because few construction materials and hospital machinery parts have been allowed into Gaza, according to WHO contacts. Those contacts noted that 100 of 420 essential drugs in Gaza are close to being out of stock. Fuel supplies continue to arrive via tunnels -------------- ¶6. (C) Gaza fuel sector executive Mahmoud Khozander told Econoff that an estimated 150,000 liters/day of diesel fuel and 10,000 liters/day of gasoline entered via the tunnels on November 29-December 3. He said that cooking gas shipments do not pass through the tunnels, as transferring the pressurized containers has proven to be too difficult for tunnel operators. ¶7. (C) Khozander told Econ specialist on December 4 that no cooking gas shipments have entered Gaza in over a month. He said that most Gaza families now rely on fire wood and diesel fuel to prepare meals. Khozander underscored that using diesel fuel to prepare meals poses numerous health risks for families. Gazans are also going without household heaters, as most run on cooking gas, according to UN contacts. WALLES