Calling the Israeli bombing of the Gaza power plant “a disastrous act”, United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator Jan Egeland today warned of dire circumstances if the 1.4 million people living in Gaza do not get regular humanitarian aid soon. “Some of the population is totally without electricity and water, which increases diarrhea, which increases disease, which increases anger,” said Egeland, as he described the scant electricity and gasoline that is coming through to Palestine. The fuel allowed in is allocated for backup generators to maintain sewage pumps and the hospital. “But these backup generators are for short-term use, for emergency use only,” said Egeland. OCHA, the U.N. agency for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, made a $385 million appeal for the Palestinian Occupied Territories for 2006, but as of today have only received 31 percent, or $117 million, towards the U.N. relief work, said Egeland. Egeland said that he received a description on the ground of the bombed-out power plant in Gaza, noting that there were six exact holes where each of the generators had been, a result of Israeli precision bombing. “Israel should repair it. Israel should make sure it happens,” said Egeland, who also mentioned that an American insurance company that was insuring the power plant will probably not be able to make payments to the Palestinian Authority for the destruction of the power plant because the US is currently maintaining sanctions against the Hamas government. “The old infrastructure is being dismantled piece by piece. It's obvious to everybody that the [Israeli] tanks are breaking water pipes,” said Egeland. “They are placed shallowly under the ground.” In addition, there are 230 large containers full of food and supplies waiting to cross at the moment. “They are accumulating surcharges in the hundreds of thousands of dollars” with the Israeli government as the trucks are waiting to cross into Gaza and are being prevented by Israel. “Israel has to back away from military operations and create a free passage of humanitarian goods in Gaza, free passage of patients for cancer treatment,” he added.
