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Palestinians filling up water in Khan Younis refugee camp in the southern Gaza Strip, on Monday. (AP)
Last update - 08:41 22/01/2008
Palestinian water authority: 40% of Gazans lack running water
By Amira Hass, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: water, Israel, Gaza, Oxfam

Gaza Strip residents Monday moved from worrying about the electricity cuts of the previous 40 hours to worrying about a water shortage. The municipality needs electricity to bring water to homes and the houses need it to pump water to the roof tanks. Hence 40 percent of Gaza Strip homes - 600,000 people - had no running water Monday, the Palestinian water authority said.

Oxfam International said Monday that unless diesel and fuel supplies were resumed immediately, all the Strip's water pumps could stop working Tuesday. The non-governmental organization also warned of the sewage system's collapse in the absence of diesel.
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"Without electric power we can manage somehow, without bread too," says a resident of the Nasser neighborhood in northern Gaza. "It's cold enough to prevent the food from going bad and we try to open the refrigerator as little as possible. The kids grumble but they can learn to live without the computer. But without water?"

"We calculate each step," he says. "We don't put on the gas heaters, because tomorrow might be colder. We don't cook for long. But to consider whether to go to the toilet? Whether to wash our face? That is insufferable."

The Israeli human rights organizations Adalah and Gisha Monday petitioned the High Court of Justice for an urgent interim injunction to prevent Israel from continuing to restrict the industrial diesel oil supply to the Gaza Strip. They said the shortage deriving from Israel's deliberate cuts in recent weeks culminated in the dramatic closure of the border crossings on Friday. The power cuts caused a shortage of drinking water and damage to the hospitals' function already on January 5, when Gaza's electric power's production was cut by 30 percent. But the High Court of Justice dismissed their request.

From small transistor radios, people listened to Al-Jazeera news broadcasts on local radio stations throughout the day. This was their only link to the world, as no newspapers are reaching the Strip either. The report of the defense minister's order to resume the diesel supply reached one Gaza City resident while he was sitting on the sofa at home, wrapped in a blanket. The gas in the heater ran out on Sunday. His daughters and wife were also covered with blankets, as were most city residents. It was the only thing they could do, to ward off the cold.

He asked himself if the resumption of diesel supply - if indeed the promise was kept - would change the picture he saw from his window: a grid of dark streets. The weak light, coming from the windows of a few apartments that had private generators, only enhanced the darkness all around.

Related articles:
  • PA lawmaker to Abbas: Break off peace talks in light of fuel cuts
  • Gaza power plant shuts down due to fuel blockade
  • Gazans struggle to keep warm facing fuel, electricity shortages
  • IDF allows transfer of vital medicine into the Gaza Strip
  • Palestinians: One killed in IAF strike on northern Gaza Strip
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      1.   Any complains should be addressed to the authorities in 05:51  |  Petra 22/01/08
      2.   They have plenty of water in the Mediterranean 06:27  |  Genuine Tosefta 22/01/08
      3.   hamas and fatah are to blame not israel 06:45  |  vik 22/01/08
      4.   "But to consider whether to go to the toilet?" 07:02  |  Dr. Math 22/01/08
      5.   A productive use of their time 07:10  |  Sam 22/01/08
      6.   the rais Arafat once told Sharon: "drink from the sea of gaza" 07:16  |  mike 22/01/08
      7.   When dangerous epidemics break out... 07:41  |  Maureen Ann 22/01/08
      8.   Maureen Anne 08:43  |  Zelkha 22/01/08
      9.   Cry me a river 08:49  |  Gili 22/01/08
      10.   a note to all of the anti semite posters 09:02  |  v hardman 22/01/08
      11.   To Maureen 09:07  |  Daniele 22/01/08
      12.   History 09:09  |  Clickfool 22/01/08
      13.   Israel Keeps Antisemitism Alive and Well 09:09  |  marge 22/01/08
      14.   George Bush and the Holocaust 09:15  |  Clickfool 22/01/08
      15.   The US is supporting a cruel & criminal mindset in Israel 09:21  |  Dutch 22/01/08
      16.   Hamas is the address for all complaints 09:28  |  Joe Sittizen 22/01/08
      17.   For Marge # 13 09:33  |  Clickfool 22/01/08
      18.   Clickfool is the best friend of the Palestinians 09:36  |  Joe Sittizen 22/01/08
      19.   This war crime will be reversed 09:40  |  Clickfool 22/01/08
      20.   Who bankrolls a country? 09:55  |  Jo 22/01/08
      21.   after this every Gaza resident has the right to hate Israel 10:01  |  Leona 22/01/08
      22.   #11 Daniele. Please read: 10:08  |  Maureen Ann 22/01/08
      23.   # Hi Zelka, I love Jews (some.) 10:16  |  Maureen Ann 22/01/08
      24.   no running water in gaza? it can walk 10:28  |  matt 22/01/08
      25.   #20 Jo asks "Who bankrolls a country?" 10:37  |  Johnboy 22/01/08
      26.   For Jo # 20 10:53  |  Clickfool 22/01/08
      27.   #12 boris the clucking fool and the years best joke 11:06  |  v hardman 22/01/08
      28.   V Hardman 11:07  |  We know you 22/01/08
      29.   the weak is tortured and humiliated 11:53  |  mehmet 22/01/08
      30.   #28 hi there more fun at the talkback 11:53  |  v hardman 22/01/08
      31.   Maureen Anne 12:04  |  Zelkha 22/01/08
      32.   Stop whining, Palestinians 12:19  |  Zelkha 22/01/08
      33.   60 years and the zionist entity hasn`t realized this.. 12:34  |  Ace 22/01/08
      34.   3rd world Pal barbarians get attention as conflict is with Jews 12:55  |  Sam 22/01/08
      35.   Where are the billions of $$$ in aid? 13:21  |  Z Lando 22/01/08
      36.   #29 Israel has lost the moral argument a long time ago 13:30  |  Dutch 22/01/08
      37.   #18 Joe Sittizen and his Israeli propaganda 13:41  |  Dutch 22/01/08
      38.   Disengagement 13:45  |  Mike 22/01/08
      39.   Saturated in the "victim" mantality. Powerless to help themselves 14:05  |  This is truly sad 22/01/08
      40.   Z. Lando Correct! 14:17  |  Petra 22/01/08
      41.   # 20 Jo The UN is refusing to give aid to the Pals. 14:22  |  Petra 22/01/08
      42.   # 29 Mehmet and you propose? 14:44  |  Petra 22/01/08
      43.   # 28 We know you re: V. Hardman 14:46  |  Petra 22/01/08
      44.   Sam from Canada 14:57  |  Nik Miller 22/01/08
      45.   Raise your hands 15:49  |  Wally 22/01/08
      46.   Raise your hands 15:49  |  Wally 22/01/08
      47.   TO CLICKFOOL #12 16:39  |  dovale 22/01/08
      48.   To Mehmet # 29 17:01  |  dovale 22/01/08
      49.   So what? Gaza has wells; 90% of Arab world lacks running water! 17:09  |  Dr. L. Brnd 22/01/08
      50.   For Dovale # 47 17:23  |  Clickfool 22/01/08
      51.   The answer is easy... 18:07  |  David Wolper 2 22/01/08
      52.   #33 Realisation comes slow to propogandists 18:14  |  David 22/01/08
      53.   #36 What moral argument? 18:21  |  David 22/01/08
      54.   #17 theres no fool like a clickfool 19:08  |  not a clickfool 22/01/08
      55.   Gaza War Crimes Defended by Maureen Anne & Co. 19:59  |  Tom 22/01/08
      56.   Clickfool#14 and antisemitism 20:07  |  Leila 22/01/08
      57.   Maureen Anne 21:07  |  swimmer 22/01/08
      58.   Isreal KILLS most Palestinians by missiles ! 21:46  |  Ahmed 22/01/08
      59.   DIG WELLS, CONNECT PIPES 22:10  |  Artie 22/01/08
      60.   Amira & her palestinians 22:13  |  Anita R 22/01/08
      61.   Ahmed fromToronto 22:20  |  Leila 22/01/08
      62.   Poor Amira, she is worried about her friends 22:21  |  Amnon C 22/01/08
      63.   Dutch # 29 22:23  |  Bamber G 22/01/08
      64.   Ahmed`s Faulty Analysis 22:25  |  Tom 22/01/08
      65.   # 55 Tom, Israel is adding insult to injury in Gaza 22:33  |  Dutch 22/01/08
      66.   Moron Ann and dangerous epidemics # 7 22:33  |  ChanahS 22/01/08
      67.   #55 Tom. Israel is adding insult to injury in Gaza 22:34  |  Dutch 22/01/08
      68.   stop the rockets first and behave like human beings 22:34  |  Renate K 22/01/08
      69.   They dig up their sewers for pipes for missiles then complain 22:37  |  Efox 22/01/08
      70.   CF # 12 History 22:38  |  ChanahS 22/01/08
      71.   Ahmed in Toro