GAZA, (PIC)
The crisis of shortages of industrial oils and spare parts in the Gaza Strip is worsening, amid rising warnings of vital sectors entering a stage of collapse, as Israeli restrictions continue on the entry of these essential supplies, which are the backbone of operations in the fields of industry, energy, and transport.
Owners of generators in the Gaza Strip warned of an imminent collapse in basic services, calling for urgent international intervention to allow the entry of fuel, oils, and spare parts necessary to continue operations.
Comprehensive paralysis
These warnings reflect the scale of the crisis, especially since electric generators represent the main alternative to electricity in the Strip, making any disruption in their operation a direct threat to daily life.
In the industrial sector, the repercussions are more evident, as facilities operate at limited capacity due to the shortage of operating and maintenance supplies.
Specialists warn that the continued prevention of the entry of oils and spare parts will lead to the complete breakdown of machinery within a short period.
Officials in the food industries sector confirmed that this shortage could lead to the stopping of production lines and bakeries, which threatens food security and increases residents’ dependence on aid.
The crisis is not limited to factories, but extends to vital facilities, as the shortage of oils and generator spare parts threatens the stopping of alternative energy sources, especially in hospitals and medical centers, which signals serious consequences for patients’ lives.
The disruption of generators also affects water, sanitation, and municipal services, increasing the deterioration of humanitarian conditions.
The shortage of spare parts and oils has also led to a significant rise in maintenance costs, and the withdrawal of a number of vehicles from service.
Estimates indicate that the prices of some spare parts have increased several times, prompting drivers to noticeably raise transportation fares.
Drivers confirm that spare parts prices have increased by more than 500% and oils by 2000%.
The price of a liter of oil before the outbreak of the war on Gaza on 7 October 2023 did not exceed 15 shekels, compared to more than 700 shekels currently.
This situation has hindered the movement of citizens and goods, and negatively affected commercial activity and supply chains within markets.
Worsening crises
The deputy head of the Union of Food and Agricultural Industries in the Gaza Strip, Samir Shahada, warned of the worsening crisis in operating bakeries due to the shortage of oils and spare parts, reaching the possibility of their stopping as generators wear out due to damage.
Shahada says in a statement to the newspaper Al-Eqtisadiya that the electric generators necessary for operating bakeries are threatened with stopping due to this crisis, placing institutions working to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in the Strip before real challenges.
He points out that the shortage of oils threatens damage to generators, especially as many operators are forced to delay oil changes due to high prices and lack of availability in the market.
He confirms that many efforts have been made recently to resolve the crisis but they have not succeeded, stressing that industrial facilities are threatened with a complete stopping in the coming period.
He notes that the spare parts available in Gaza have become almost damaged, and despite that, their prices reach tens of times their normal price, making the repair of thousands of machines and vehicles illogical compared to the prices of new parts if they are allowed to enter.
Almost complete collapse
The Association of Generator and Alternative Energy Owners in Gaza said that the alternative electricity sector, on which the Gaza Strip currently relies completely, has entered a stage of almost complete collapse, as generator owners depend on worn out spare parts.
The association points to the possibility of generators stopping in the coming period due to the lack of spare parts and the shortage of oils.
The association called for immediate intervention by humanitarian and international institutions to ensure the continued operation of generators as vital infrastructure, and the urgent and sustainable entry of fuel, spare parts, and oils, as well as the establishment of a fair support mechanism that takes into account actual costs, alongside the intervention of relevant authorities to control the prices of basic operating materials.
In conclusion, the crisis of the shortage of industrial oils and spare parts in Gaza is no longer just a technical problem, but has turned into a complex crisis that threatens the collapse of vital sectors entirely. With the absence of urgent solutions, the Strip faces the risk of comprehensive economic paralysis, directly affecting the lives of more than two million people.
