An official from the Gaza Strip Power Authority (GSPA) expressed concerns, Sunday, that Gazans will have electricity for less than six hours a day, as winter approaches, the Ma’an News Agency has reported.The Egyptian grid which supplies power to Rafah and southern Khan Younis, in the south, was disconnected Saturday. The GSPA was unable to provide electricity to these areas, as a result.
Jamal Dardasawi, director of public relations for the company, warned that they would fail to meet even a minimum six-hour demand for electricity per day, due to increasing need caused by changing weather.
‘It has become impossible for the electricity company to meet the minimum power needs of the population of the Gaza Strip,’ Dardasawi stated.
He added that the electricity available in Gaza is now down to 25 percent of what is actually needed, and is expected to fall to 20 percent or even less.
Since early November, fuel shortages have caused daily life in the Gaza Strip to grind slowly to a halt, as power plants and water pumps are forced to shut down, cutting off access to basic residential necessities.
The Gaza Strip has been under a severe economic blockade imposed by Israel, with Egyptian support, since 2006.
