Launched TUESDAY May14, 2019 on www.zReportage.com Story #702: LEFT IN THE DARK: Gaza's Energy Crisis. For the past decade, the Gaza Strip has suffered from a chronic electricity deficit, an ongoing and growing electricity crisis faced by nearly two million citizens of the Gaza Strip, with regular power supply being provided only for a few hours a day on a rolling blackout schedule. The situation has further deteriorated since April 2017, in the context of disputes between the de facto authorities in Gaza and the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority. The functionality of Gaza's 14 public hospitals is increasingly jeopardized by electricity shortages and the rapidly declining UN coordinated fuel reserves required to run emergency generators during prolonged electricity cuts. With the blockade in its eleventh year, the occupied Palestinian Territory now suffers the highest unemployment rate in the world, with personal income and agricultural production going down, the United Nations trade and development agency stated, noting that women and young people were worst affected. The enduring deprivation of basic economic, social and human rights inflicts a heavy toll on Gaza's psychological and social fabric, as manifested by the widespread incidence of post-traumatic stress disorder and high suicide rates,'' the UN reported, noting that in 2017, 225,000 children, more than 10 per cent of the total population, required psychological support.
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January 3, 2018 - Gaza, Palestine - The streets of Gaza, especially in the poor neighborhoods, are plunged into darkness as soon as the night falls. The inhabitants use torch-lamps, fires or the headlights of cars for illumination.
© Chloe Sharrock/Le Pictorium Agency via ZUMA Press

January 3, 2018 - Gaza, Palestine - A young boy plays with a Virtual Reality game. Gaza City's mall functions thanks to large and costly generators. The electricity restrictions have aggravated the severe social disparity between the population, either very wealthy or very poor.
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January 3, 2018 - Gaza, Palestine - The Baker family, living in Al-Shanti refugee camp in northern Gaza, lights a large fire in their house to be able to see in the dark, cook and warm their house. Fire in in such a confined space is is extremely dangerous with seven small children close.
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January 3, 2018 - Gaza, Palestine - Men use battery powered LED lights to illuminate their Snack stands at Gaza City's port.
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January 3, 2018 - Gaza, Palestine - A view to the streets of Gaza City, the biggest city of the Palestinian strip, viewed from inside of a car.
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January 3, 2018 - Gaza, Palestine - A portrait of the eldest daughter of the Baker family, in Al-Shanti refugee camp, northern Gaza. Because of electricity restrictions, her school exams have been postponed several times. The extremely dire economic conditions have also made her graduation doubtful because her family might not be able to afford her diploma.
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January 3, 2018 - Gaza, Palestine - Small solar panels installed by Gaza city's municipality are seen next to Palestinian and Islamic Resistance Movement flags. So far the electricity provided by the solar panels has been very limited.
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January 3, 2018 - Gaza, Palestine - Gaza City's mall functions due to large and costly generators. The electricity restrictions have aggravated the extreme social disparity between the population. People are either very wealthy or very poor.
© Chloe Sharrock/Le Pictorium Agency via ZUMA Press

January 3, 2018 - Gaza, Palestine - The streets of Gaza, especially the poor neighborhoods, are plunged into darkness as soon as night falls. Inhabitants use torch-lamps, fires or car headlights for illumination.
© Chloe Sharrock/Le Pictorium Agency via ZUMA Press

January 3, 2018 - Gaza, Palestine - Women pass in front of Alhassina's mosque situated next to the Mediterranean Sea.
© Chloe Sharrock/Le Pictorium Agency via ZUMA Press

January 3, 2018 - Gaza, Palestine - Inhabitants of Al-Shanti refugee camp, in northern Gaza, fix fuses that blew during the night, in a darkened street. The electrical network, damaged by the constant power cuts in the area, is often repaired by the inhabitants themselves.
© Chloe Sharrock/Le Pictorium Agency via ZUMA Press

January 3, 2018 - Gaza, Palestine - Small shops that can't afford electric generators use small LED lights powered with batteries to overcome constant power cuts that can last up to 20 hours per day.
© Chloe Sharrock/Le Pictorium Agency via ZUMA Press

January 3, 2018 - Gaza, Palestine - Small shops that can't afford electric generators use small LED lights powered with batteries to overcome constant power cuts that can last up to 20 hours per day.
© Chloe Sharrock/Le Pictorium Agency via ZUMA Press

January 3, 2018 - Gaza, Palestine - A young man repairs electronic devices that suffered from the constant power cuts, in a small shop of the Gaza Strip.
© Chloe Sharrock/Le Pictorium Agency via ZUMA Press

January 3, 2018 - Gaza, Palestine - The Baker family, living in Al-Shanti refugee camp in northern Gaza, lights a large fire in their house to be able to see in the dark, cook and keep warm. Fire in in such a confined space is is extremely dangerous with seven small children close.
© Chloe Sharrock/Le Pictorium Agency via ZUMA Press

January 3, 2018 - Gaza, Palestine - Small shops that can't afford electric generators use small LED lights powered with batteries to overcome constant power cuts that can last up to 20 hours per day.
© Chloe Sharrock/Le Pictorium Agency via ZUMA Press

January 4, 2018 - Gaza, Palestine - The pediatric hospital Al-nasser, cares for numerous children that depend on electronic machines. Several of them are in need of more advanced care, only available in hospitals out of the territory, but they can't get out because of a blockade on the Gaza strip.
© Chloe Sharrock/Le Pictorium Agency via ZUMA Press

January 4, 2018 - Gaza, Palestine - The dialysis department of Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City is totally overcrowded and adversely affected by the constant power cuts. The dialysis units are interrupted by the power cuts, and this leads to long treatment times for the patients. Patients in need of transplants or further care can't get out of the territory because of the blockade.
© Chloe Sharrock/Le Pictorium Agency via ZUMA Press

January 4, 2018 - Gaza, Palestine - Inhabitants are facing a major electricity crisis, with only 4 to 5 hours of power per day. The consequences are grievous, notably on hospitals but also on schools, businesses, homes.
© Chloe Sharrock/Le Pictorium Agency via ZUMA Press

January 4, 2018 - Gaza, Palestine - The UPS batteries of the Al-Shifa hospital allow the transition between normal power off the grid and generator power.
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January 4, 2018 - Gaza, Palestine - Some inhabitants use solar panels when they can afford to have them installed. Solar power remains very costly to have and brings very limited results.
© Chloe Sharrock/Le Pictorium Agency via ZUMA Press

January 4, 2018 - Gaza, Palestine - The neonatal intensive care department in Al-Shifa hospital, in Gaza city, takes care of hundreds of new born babies each day and depends on electric machines. The generators allow them to keep functioning for a while but a power cut that lasts for a longer amount of time has the potential to take away the life of dozens of the babies. The electricity restrictions in the area has obliged the hospital to prioritize some departments and treatments.
© Chloe Sharrock/Le Pictorium Agency via ZUMA Press

January 4, 2018 - Gaza, Palestine - The neonatal intensive care department in Al-Shifa hospital, in Gaza city, takes care of hundreds of new born babies each day and depends on electric machines. The generators allow them to keep functioning for a while but a power cut that lasts for a longer amount of time has the potential to take away the life of dozens of the babies. The electricity restrictions in the area has obliged the hospital to prioritize some departments and treatments.
© Chloe Sharrock/Le Pictorium Agency via ZUMA Press

January 6, 2018 - Gaza, Palestine - The Atallah family has been making pottery since 1886. Because of the power restrictions, they had to go back to manual work and machines that don't use electricity. Despite their production being consistent their sales diminished considerably because of the economic blockade imposed by Israel on the exports of the Gaza Strip.
© Chloe Sharrock/Le Pictorium Agency via ZUMA Press

January 6, 2018 - Gaza, Palestine - Mohammed Thabit, spokesman of the Electricity Distribution Company, shows a picture of the millions of gallons of wasted water dumped into the sea every day. The wastewater treatment plant does not function at all because of a lack of power creating an ecological disaster.
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January 6, 2018 - Gaza, Palestine - Gaza's power plant. The 2014 conflict saw the destruction of the two other power plants. This one now produces 60MegaWatts of power on the 600MW necessary for the territory. It is sometimes cut because of the lack of fuel coming from Egypt or Israel.
© Chloe Sharrock/Le Pictorium Agency via ZUMA Press

January 8, 2018 - Gaza, Palestine - View of the wall separating Gaza from Israel, at the Erez Crossing, the only way out of the territory on the Israeli side. The crossing has heavy security and goes through the no-man's land between the two territories.
© Chloe Sharrock/Le Pictorium Agency via ZUMA Press