Sole Grain Mill Ceases to Operate

UNRWA Says ‘Receiving Half of Fuel Needed in Gaza’

Date: 19 November 2023 - 21:47

News ID: ۱۲۱۶۳۳

GAZA CITY (Dispatches) – The UN agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA on Sunday said it has begun receiving half of the fuel it needs to run its daily operations in the Gaza Strip, which will allow it to operate at a minimum level.
Spokesperson Adnan Abu Hasna said in a statement that Gaza continues to face a humanitarian crisis due to Zionist attacks on the territory since Oct. 7.
“Finally, the agency has been allowed to obtain 60,000 liters of fuel daily. This quantity represents half of our needs to meet the minimum requirements of our operations,” he said.
“These quantities will be distributed to water desalination stations, to generate power for hospitals, bakeries, and to handle sewage water, as well as the collection of solid waste,” the spokesperson added.
He said “many streets in the Gaza Strip are flooded with sewage water due to insufficient fuel to pump the water, and residents will only receive two-thirds of their drinking water needs.”
About 70% of solid waste in the enclave will not be collected “due to the lack of the necessary fuel to carry out our tasks,” he said.
Meanwhile, the largest grain mill in the Gaza Strip, which was left as the only mill in the besieged enclave, also ceased to operate after being severely damaged by the Zionist regime’s army’s heavy bombing late on Wednesday, a flour distributor told Anadolu on Sunday.
“Al-Salam Mill came under Israeli artillery shelling last Wednesday, which took it out of service,” said Elias Awad, a flour distributor in the central and southern regions of Gaza.
He feared further problems for the people of Gaza after the closure of this mill because, according to the international agreement, the Palestinian government cannot import wheat flour and must instead purchase the essential commodity from Israeli merchants.