UN funding crisis for Gaza could force 250 health water and sanitation facilities to shut down for lack of fuel UN Humanitarian Coordinator Jamie McGoldrick warned on Monday.
“Life-saving services in the Gaza Strip rely heavily on donor-funded emergency fuel” McGoldrick said. “We have now run out of funds and are delivering the final supplies in the next few days. Without funds to enable ongoing deliveries service providers will be forced to suspend or heavily reduce operations from early September with potentially grave consequences.”
Those facilities had been on the verge of shutting down as Israel had halted the flow of gas and fuel into Gaza through the Kerem Abu Salem crossing from August 1 to August 14.
Among those in danger are 4800 Palestinians in intensive care units. Medical services for the rest of the population will be reduced or stopped altogether.
“If donors intervene quickly we can prevent a serious deterioration such as a disease outbreak or other public health concern” said McGoldrick. “But we need funding immediately to avoid the collapse of critical life-saving services.”
Gaza subsists on only four or five hours of electricity a day so essential services rely heavily on back-up generators which run on fuel.
Lack of water and sanitation facilities could also contribute to the outbreak of disease in the densely-populated enclave.
McGoldrick’s warning followed a number of other pleas the UN has made this summer for funding particularly in light of the US decision to drastically reduce its funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).
