UNRWA will suspend operations in Gaza on Monday night due to Israeli fuel embargo

Date: 05 / 05 / 2008 Time: 11:53
Gaza – Ma'an –

UNRWA, the United Nations' agency for Palestinian refugees, will suspend its operations in the Gaza Strip on Monday evening citing a shortage of fuel.

The suspension means that 650,000 refugees will go without essential services, including food aid. Israel has refused to allow fuel for automobiles into Gaza since Palestinian fighters attacked the Nahal Oz fuel terminal on 9 April, killing two Israelis. Shipments of industrial fuel and cooking gas have been severely limited.

Israel closed the Nahal Oz crossing again on Monday.

UNRWA only resumed distribution of aid last Tuesday after a four-day shutdown also caused by the fuel crisis.

Adnan Abu Hassnah, the UNRWA spokesperson in the Gaza Strip, told Ma'an that if UNRWA does not receive fuel by this evening it will be forced to suspend the distribution of food supplies, and halt educational and health programs.

He added that the UNRWA received 55,000 liters of diesel last week, which it has almost consumed.

Israel began a blockade of the Gaza Strip last June, allowing virtually no Palestinians to enter or leave the Strip, and severely limiting vital shipments of food, fuel, medicine, and other goods.

Fair Use Notice

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.