UN Envoy Warns of Repeating Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza Strip

The UN Special Envoy for the Middle East warned on Friday of the risk of a new humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip amid the power struggle between Fatah and Hamas, urging all parties to fulfill their commitments regarding the welfare of the region's residents. In a report to the 15 members of the UN Security Council, Nikolai Mladenov emphasized that Gaza is 'entering another crisis before our very eyes,' and if immediate measures to reduce tensions are not taken, the 'devastating consequences' of an escalating and uncontrollable crisis will affect both Palestinians and Israelis. Residents of the Gaza Strip have been living under unusual conditions for over a decade following the power struggle between the Fatah movement, led by Mahmoud Abbas, which controls the Palestinian Authority, and the Islamic Hamas movement, which held the premiership at that time. Now, according to Reuters, the UN envoy states that in April, the Palestinian Authority refused to pay the salaries of 60,000 public sector employees in Gaza, including the Gaza power plant, which supplies nearly one-third of the region's electricity. This situation, arising from a dispute between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority over fuel taxes, has caused the power plant to cease operations. Meanwhile, Mr. Mladenov noted that the power lines between Egypt and the Gaza Strip have also failed for technical reasons, leaving Gaza's electricity solely reliant on Israeli power lines, which provide 60% of the region's electricity. In April, the Palestinian Authority announced that it would no longer pay Israel for electricity supply to Gaza. Under these conditions, according to the UN envoy, electricity supply to Gaza will decrease by 30%, making conditions significantly harder for the residents of the area. Mr. Mladenov reminded that currently, the majority of Palestinians in Gaza have electricity for only 4 hours a day, which may be reduced to half. He also stated that water desalination units are operating at only 15% of their capacity, and drinking water in the region is available for limited hours every two to four days. According to Mr. Mladenov, 100,000 cubic meters of raw sewage enter the Mediterranean daily, equivalent to 40 Olympic-sized swimming pools, creating an environmental disaster for Israel, Egypt, and Gaza. The UN Special Envoy emphasized that the Palestinian Authority, Hamas, and Israel have obligations regarding the welfare of Gaza's residents and must act responsibly in this crisis. Gaza, which covers only 365 square kilometers and has a population of 1.9 million, is referred to as the largest prison in the world, and its people, with an annual income of only $6,100, are in need of international humanitarian aid.