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Officials warn: Gaza infrastructures near breaking point By Amira Hass Tags: gaza, israel news, Amira Hass  Click here for more articles by Amira Hass Between 600,000 and 700,000 Gazans have no water, some of them going on a week. About one million have no electricity, raw sewage is running in the streets in some places and various localities, especially in the northern Gaza Strip, face the threat of sewer backups. Advertisement Repairmen cannot easily get out to make repairs, due to the shelling and poor conditions of roads. The mobile and land-line phone networks in the Strip have been seriously damaged from both air strikes and the power shortages. Increasingly, Gazans have no way to contact relatives, local authorities or aid and emergency services, heightening their sense of panic and isolation. That is the picture of the Gazan infrastructure that emerges from the reports of residents and of the Deputy Director of the Coastal Municipalities Water Utility, Maher Najjar, and Maxwell Gaylard, UN Humanitarian Coordinator. Judging by the number of wells that are inoperable or operating at very low capacity, Najjar estimates that between 40 and 50 percent of Gazans do not have access to water. Every day, air raids cause additional damage to the water system, and the number of complaints to the water utility increases hourly. Yesterday, for example, the pipe supplying water to the village of Umm al-Nasr, in the Rafah area, was damaged, suspending the supply of water to its 10,000 residents. A pipe that provides water to about 30,000 people in the central Strip was also damaged by Israeli air strikes. According to statements by Gaza residents to Haaretz, as well as an affidavit submitted by Najjar to Gisha-Legal Center for Freedom of Movement, people are running out of potable water in their homes and are unable to reach public faucets to obtain additional supplies because of the Israeli offensive. The homes of about one million Gazans have been without electricity for between five and seven days straight, due to a combination of war-related infrastructure damage and shortages of diesel oil for power plants. Gaza's water and sewage pumps run on electricity. When there is not enough electricity, they run on standby generators, which are powered by diesel fuel. If the supply of fuel is not renewed to these generators within two days, the remaining 25 operating fresh-water pumps in Gaza City and the rest of the Strip will stop pumping. In Rafah, for example, 70 percent of residents could be without water within two days. Spare parts, such as tubing, pipes, and air and water filters, are in short supply because Israel has prohibited their entry into the Strip since during the cease-fire. The Red Cross yesterday was negotiating with the Israel Defense Forces over the transfer of about 20,000 liters of diesel fuel that arrived at the Erez border terminal yesterday. The drivers are afraid of being hit by IDF fire, in addition to the dangers of negotiating Gaza's poor roads. Out of the 37 sewer pumping stations in the Gaza Strip, 32 are operating only partially because of the lack of electricity, while the remaining five are not operating at all. A pumping station in Beit Lahiya stopped operating after its generator was damaged by the IDF operation, and as a result sewage is collecting in the street. Four pumping stations in Gaza City have run out of diesel for the backup generators and the sewage from three of them is flowing into the sea, while runoff from the fourth is flooding nearby farmland. If the fuel supply to the remaining pumps is not renewed within a few days the sewage will be flowing into the streets as well. In Beit Hanun, sewage has flowed in the streets for six days since a pipe carrying it to the treatment plant was damaged. As of yesterday, efforts to coordinate the dispatch of technicians with the IDF have failed. The sewage levels in the giant wastewater treatment plant in the northern Strip (which was to have been emptied out over a month ago to prevent flooding) are steadily increasing, posing a danger to the 10,000 people living nearby. Related articles: Israel strikes dozens of tunnels in southern Gaza Bradley Burston / Gaza War Diary III: If Mexico shelled Texas, like Hamas shells Israel PICTURE GALLERY / Gaza incursion sparks protests around world ANALYSIS / Will Gaza deal share fate of failed Lebanon accord? ANALYSIS / How much time is left for the IDF to operate in Gaza? Bookmark to del.icio.us   Disturbing trend Jewish Agency says Anti-Semitic acts in Jan. 2009 triple last year's records. After the war IDF gains in Gaza have softened Israel's stance on Shalit deal.   1.   Don`t worry, Bush says Hamas did all this... 07:38  |  Michael Hess 06/01/09   2.   They voted for this! 07:52  |  Daniel 06/01/09   3.   Palestinian democracy at work 12:19  |  dyinglikeflies 06/01/09   4.   Defying the world and begging the world`s assistance 12:34  |  x-ray 06/01/09

Read & React Livni: Israel should strike Hamas again to halt arms smuggling Responses: 44 Amir Oren: 'Decisive' Gaza offensive merely rehearsal for next crisis versus Iran Responses: 8 Netanyahu: Likud-led government wouldn't build new settlements Responses: 36 Akiva Eldar: Saudi plan offers Israel united front with Arab states against Iran Responses: 10 More Headlines 11:52 Egypt to Hamas: Take Gaza truce before Netanyahu is PM 12:30 Veteran ultra-Orthodox MK Avraham Ravitz dies aged 75 11:24 Iran MPs plan Gaza visit to praise Hamas resistance against 'Zionist offensive' 12:54 Sky News joins BBC in refusing to air Gaza fundraiser 13:16 Lecturers say IDF officer who justified Gaza strikes should not teach law 10:14 Nine held for allegedly attacking Israeli Arabs in Upper Nazareth 10:36 Netanyahu: Likud-led coalition wouldn't build new settlements 12:12 Survey: Most Israelis want Benjamin Netanyahu to be prime minister 13:17 IDF rabbinate publication during Gaza war: We will show no mercy on the cruel 10:35 Haaretz probe: Unknown overseas sources paid MK Lieberman NIS 2.5m 10:51 2 hurt, 1 seriously, after light plane crashes near Beit She`an 04:42 EU presses Egypt to take action against Gaza arms smuggling 11:27 Number of laid-off Israelis set new high in December 07:41 U.S. businessman Guma L. Aguiar gives $8m to Nefesh b'Nefesh 07:43 Program launched to bring all Jewish teachers worldwide to Israel 04:43 Court to state: Let foreign media into Gaza when borders open 04:45 Egypt evacuates Rafah area, fearing IAF strike on Gaza Previous Editions Select Day 25 jan 23 jan 22 jan 21 jan 20 jan 19 jan 18 jan 16 jan 15 jan 14 jan 13 jan 12 jan

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