Press Statement

The Palestinian NGOs Network (PNGO) warns of the serious and immediate repercussions of the continued restrictions imposed on the entry of mineral oils, engine oils, filters, and spare parts necessary for the maintenance of generators, vehicles, and operational equipment into the Gaza Strip, especially given the complete reliance on generators to provide the energy needed to operate vital facilities and humanitarian services.

The continued ban or restriction on the entry of these materials poses a direct threat to the continuity of life-saving and essential services on which millions of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip depend, particularly healthcare, drinking water supply and pumping, sanitation, ambulance services, bakeries, waste management, transportation, and humanitarian and relief operations.

PNGO stresses that generators have become an essential component of life-saving infrastructure in the Gaza Strip, amid the widespread destruction of the electricity network and energy infrastructure. Consequently, the failure to provide appropriate oils, filters, and spare parts required for routine maintenance effectively exposes generators to breakdown and permanent failure, potentially bringing critical services to a complete halt.

In hospitals, generator failures can disrupt operating theatres, intensive care units, neonatal incubators, sterilization equipment, laboratories, and cold chains. In the water sector, they can halt the operation of wells, desalination plants, water pumps, and water tanker services. Generator failures also threaten the operation of bakeries, sanitation facilities, waste management systems, and other essential services that cannot function without a reliable source of power.

Mineral oils, filters, and spare parts must not be treated as ordinary commercial or operational items whose entry can be postponed. Under the current circumstances, they are essential supplies required to sustain humanitarian services and the daily lives of the population. Reliance on limited quantities entering through exceptional channels, or attempts to purchase these materials from local markets at exorbitant prices, cannot provide a sustainable solution to the crisis. Recent reports have indicated a sharp increase in the prices of engine oils in local markets due to severe shortages.

Accordingly, PNGO calls for:

1. The immediate and unconditional permission to allow the entry of mineral oils, engine oils, filters, and spare parts required for generators, vehicles, and humanitarian and service-related equipment into the Gaza Strip.
2. That these materials be considered humanitarian and vital necessities directly linked to the continuity of health, water, sanitation, food, and relief services, and that they not be subjected to restrictions that impede their entry.
3. The establishment of a clear, rapid, and transparent mechanism for approving the entry of maintenance supplies and spare parts, avoiding delays that further increase the risk of service disruptions.
4. Allowing the entry of generators and equipment required for maintenance and repairs, in line with the actual needs of health, service, and humanitarian facilities.
5. Ensuring the regular delivery of essential supplies to hospitals, water facilities, desalination plants, sanitation facilities, bakeries, ambulance services, municipalities, and humanitarian organizations.
6. Calling on the United Nations and relevant international actors to intensify pressure and take urgent action to ensure the removal of restrictions on the entry of these materials, and to establish a monitoring and follow-up mechanism that guarantees their delivery to the entities that require them.
7. Providing Palestinian NGOs with emergency resources to enable them to maintain the operational readiness of their generators, vehicles, and equipment and to continue delivering services to the most affected communities.

PNGO emphasizes that the right of the population to healthcare, water, food, sanitation, and humanitarian services cannot remain hostage to the availability of a spare part or a litre of oil. Protecting the continuity of these essential services is a collective responsibility that requires immediate and concrete action.

Palestinian NGOs Network (PNGO)

Gaza – Palestine