Fuel Supplies Running Low, Hospitals in Gaza Expected to Lose All Power Today

Gaza, Palestine – The Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip issued a warning on Tuesday (10/24) regarding the availability of fuel for hospital generators throughout Gaza City, Palestine. In their statement, electricity is projected to last for the next 48 hours, which means today (10/26) marks a critical point for electricity in all hospitals.

Ashraf al-Qudra, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip, revealed that, following the escalation of the conflict between Palestine and Israel, the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza has been slow. Among the various essential needs, the availability of fuel has become increasingly scarce in hospitals throughout Gaza City, Palestine.

“We have less than 48 hours before all hospital electric generators run out of fuel,” said Ashraf Al-Qudra, as reported by Republika.

Quoting from Media Indonesia, the World Health Organization (WHO) previously reported on Tuesday (10/24) that six hospitals in Gaza City have officially ceased operations. This had to be done because the fuel supply for the generators had run out.

Furthermore, WHO stated that the fuel supply in Palestine is currently critically low. The existing supply is barely sufficient for ambulance operations and the most crucial hospital functions to remain operational for more than 24 hours.

“There is no guarantee of safety for aid deliveries to several hospitals in the northern Gaza Strip,” said WHO.

Local Ministry of Health even disclosed that the healthcare service system has reached its worst point in history. The peak of this crisis was when the Indonesian Hospital in Bayt Lahiya, Gaza, Palestine, experienced a power outage for five hours on Tuesday (10/24).

Video footage from the Instagram account @eye.on.palestine depicted the pitch-dark condition of the Indonesian Hospital in Gaza. Medical staff and individuals inside the hospital used the flashlights on their phones for emergency lighting.

“More than 100 babies (inside) in incubators in #Gaza are at risk because all hospitals are expected to go dark within the next 48 hours,” wrote the @eye.on.palestine account on its official Instagram (10/24).

The power outage at the Indonesian Hospital occurred because the generator had been running continuously for two weeks, and there were numerous cable damage issues. In an exclusive interview with Tempo on Tuesday (10/24), a volunteer from the Medical and Humanitarian Organization (MER-C) in Gaza explained the reason for the power outage.

“It went off for five hours because the generator had been running continuously for two full weeks, and there were many cable damage issues at the hospital,” said Fikri Rofiul Haq.

Sources:
https://internasional.republika.co.id/berita/s31pdj349/bahan-bakar-hampir-habis-rumah-sakit-di-gaza-hanya-akan-bertahan-selama-48-jam
https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cywg2w7NEw8/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
https://mediaindonesia.com/internasional/624083/6-rumah-sakit-di-gaza-tutup-karena-kekurangan-bahan-bakar
https://dunia.tempo.co/read/1788878/sikap-negara-anggota-pbb-soal-israel-palestina-dari-indonesia-hingga-as?tracking_page_direct

Image Source:
– Aftermath of deadly Israeli air raid on al-Ahli Arab Hospital (Al Jazeera: Abdelhakim Abu Riash)