Ging calls for opening Gaza crossings, warns of worsening humanitarian crisis

The director of UNRWA operations in Gaza Strip John Ging on Tuesday said that all Gaza crossings should be opened and warned of a worsening humanitarian crisis in the beleaguered Strip.

Ging in a statement to the Ramattan news agency said that the crisis is deepening in Gaza, noting that today 600,000 of its inhabitants are living without electricity, which only adds to the state of suffering, desperation and frustration its inhabitants face.

He rejected the Israeli policy of collective punishment on the Gaza populace, adding that the inhabitants are not the ones who fire rockets and thus should not be punished.

The UNRWA official urged the international community to act, asserting that protecting civilians was a priority.

For his part, Kanan Obeid, the deputy chairman of the Gaza energy authority, told PIC on Tuesday that the Israeli occupation authority”s fuel supplies were half the amount agreed upon.

He explained that the IOA provided the Strip with 420,000 liters of fuel, which forced the authority to ration power supply. He added that electricity would be provided for 8 hours then cut for 8 hours in view of the fuel shortage.

Obeid pointed out that Rafah, which is supplied with power from Egypt, would not experience the blackout.

He added that his authority has fuel reserves that are enough for a day or two at the most while it should have fuel reserves for two months or more.