|
RAMALLAH, July 28 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) consensus government said Tuesday it decided to ship fuels to turn on the inoperative Gaza power station without taxations for one month.
The government, which held its weekly meeting in both Ramallah and Gaza via the video conference system, said in a statement that the decision was made to relax the severe power crisis Gaza has been suffering from for eight days.
In July 20, the Gaza-based energy authorities announced that the sole power station in the Gaza Strip stopped generating electricity to the populations because of the high taxations imposed on the shipped fuels to Gaza.
Four months ago, the PNA reached a deal with Gaza energy authorities to ship free-taxed fuels to operate the power station for four months. In July 20, the deal expired and became invalid.
Due to the crisis of the lack of power, which basically has been going on up and down since 2006, around 1.8 million populations of the coastal enclave have been living in darkness due to a severe shortage of power.
Dozens of young Gazans demonstrated earlier on Tuesday in front of Gaza energy headquarters calling for ending the crisis and bring electricity to the populations for longer hours.
"We want electricity before candles burn our children," said one of the demonstrators, referring to several fatal incidents that killed and wounded dozens of children in the Gaza Strip over the past eight years.
According to Gaza Energy Corporation, the Gaza Strip needs 320 megawatts of electricity every day, where the sole Gaza power station generates 65 megawatts, Israel provides Gaza with 120 mega watts and Egypt with 22 megawatts, which means that there is still a 40 percent shortage.
