GAZA: SOME SUPPLIES ENTER; COOKING GAS IN GAZA NOT

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 002216 SIPDIS NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE AND NEA/IPA; PRM FOR PRM/ANE; NSC FOR PASCUAL; PLEASE PASS TO USAID FOR KUNDER/MCCLOUD/BORODIN E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/09/2013 TAGS: ECON EAID PHUM KWBG ETRD IS SUBJECT: GAZA: SOME SUPPLIES ENTER; COOKING GAS IN GAZA NOT DISTRIBUTED DUE TO FEAR OF VIOLENCE REF: JERUSALEM 2201 Classified By: Consul General Jake Walles, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (SBU) Summary: An estimated 60 truckloads of food and humanitarian shipments entered Gaza on December 9, according to UN contacts. The Nahal Oz fuel station transferred two days of power plant fuel and 200 tons of cooking gas on December 9. The cooking gas has not yet been distributed to the public, due to fears of violence at points of sale, according to fuel sector executives in Gaza. The power plant shut down on December 7, after running at half power for less than two days, and remains down on December 9. End summary. Limited shipments of food, medicine, and fuel -------------- ¶2. (SBU) UN OCHA contacts reported that 40 truckloads of food and humanitarian supplies transferred to Gaza on December 9 at the Kerem Shalom crossing, and 20 truckloads of grains and animal food were transferred via Karni/al-Mintar's conveyer belt. The Nahal Oz fuel station transferred an estimated 450,000 liters (two days' supply) of industrial fuel for the power plant on December 9, according to power plant contacts. These are the first imported fuel shipments to Gaza since December 3. Cooking gas deliveries in Gaza too dangerous, given extreme demand -------------- ¶3. (C) Gaza fuel sector executive Mahmoud Khozandar told Econoff that 200 tons of cooking gas entered Gaza on December ¶9. He said gas station owners have refused to distribute the limited amount of cooking gas out of fear that extreme shortages will trigger violence at the point of sale. He said the gas is being stored in Gaza near Nahal Oz station. Gaza power plant down -------------- ¶4. (C) Gaza power plant Chief Engineer Rafiq Maliha told Econoff that the plant received nearly two days of industrial fuel (350,000 liters) on December 9. Contrary to prior reporting, Maliha said that the plant operated at partial capacity on December 5-7, before it ran out of fuel for the fourth time in recent weeks. Maliha said if enough fuel is received on December 9, he would attempt to start one turbine that produces 20 MW of electricity. UNRWA cash assistance remains suspended -------------- ¶5. (SBU) UNRWA reports that it continues to distribute food rations to 750,000 Palestinian refugees in Gaza, but its cash assistance program remains suspended (since Nov 20),due to banks' shortage of shekels. They add that the absence of shekels is affecting UNRWA's elementary school food programs. WALLES