Gaza's Energy Crisis Deepens as Engine Oil Restrictions Take Hold

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has sounded an alarm about the severe impact of restrictions on engine oil and spare parts entering Gaza. The organisation states that this has exacerbated the energy crisis, threatening to disrupt essential services such as hospitals, ambulances, water networks, aid transport, and food production.

The supply of engine oil in Gaza has become severely limited, with prices skyrocketing 20 times over the past six months. By July, a single litre of engine oil cost over $1,300, with no guarantee of quality or availability.

Many healthcare facilities in Gaza rely on generators for electricity due to disrupted power supplies and damaged infrastructure. The MSF warns that generator failures could halt critical medical services, particularly for patients dependent on life-support equipment.

Ola Bardawil, the MSF's deputy project coordinator, noted the dire consequences of generator breakdowns: 'When generators break down, hospitals are at risk. Newborn babies in incubators, people who rely on oxygen generators, or those in need of lifesaving surgery will suffer.'