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