What You Need to Know About the Electricity Crisis in Gaza

Access to the Gaza Strip has been controlled by Israel for decades. During that time, Gaza and Israel have had many violent confrontations, with the latest coming in May of 2021. There are many different factors that play into the challenging situation Gaza faces, but there’s one that isn’t often discussed: electricity. In this article, we’ll explain what you need to know about the electricity crisis in Gaza.

The Electricity Crisis in the Gaza Strip

As mentioned earlier, Israel controls all access in and out of the Gaza Strip, using that control to restrict the supplies, humanitarian aid, and even the electricity that goes into Gaza. This has created an energy crisis in Gaza, where 2 million Palestinians live without reliable access to the resources they need.

One study focused on how the energy crisis is affecting the humanitarian and living conditions of Palestinians living in Gaza. The study found that 92% of citizens feel that the lack of electricity has a negative effect on their mental health, while 82% of citizens are unable to refrigerate food due to a lack of electricity. The lack of reliable electricity is directly impacting the quality of life of these individuals, and it’s also making it difficult for humanitarian efforts who also rely on electricity to provide aid.

One of the issues leading to the energy crisis is Gaza’s electricity source. Gaza has two main sources of electricity: Israel’s electricity company that supplies power through 10 lines and the Gaza Power Plant. However, the amount of electricity that has been produced in Gaza and reaches Gaza from Israel has been drastically reduced due to a number of reasons.

First, since Israel controls all entry points into Gaza, they have banned the entry of fuel used for the power plant, which has reduced electricity production in Gaza. There have also been accusations of Israel’s military forces directly targeting the Gaza Power Plant and electric power lines during conflicts in order to reduce access to electricity even more for the Palestinians in Gaza. 

All of these factors combined have led to the energy crisis currently facing Gaza and have worsened the humanitarian circumstances there. In response to the energy crisis in Gaza, the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF) continues to provide humanitarian aid to children and their families through our hospitals, pediatric medical programs, health initiatives, hospital infrastructure projects, orphan and disabled children sponsorships, and medical missions. These efforts help to ensure that children in need get the vital assistance they require.

PCRF is not a political or religious organization. Our mission is to provide medical and humanitarian relief collectively and individually to Arab children throughout the Middle East, regardless of their nationality, politics, or religion. We rely on charitable giving to provide medical treatment, surgeries, safety, shelter, and support to children and their families suffering from the energy crisis in Gaza. Find out how you can get involved and help make a difference in children’s lives today!