GAZA / ELECTRICITY CRISIS

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The electricity crisis in the Gaza Strip has persisted since the onset of the Israeli war in October 2023, with the infrastructure of the electricity networks being severely damaged across all cities in the region. This has forced residents to seek limited alternatives, primarily solar energy, and led to the emergence of new professions such as solar-powered charging stations and alternative battery repair. UNIFEED
Description

STORY: GAZA / ELECTRICITY CRISIS
TRT: 07:50
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / ARABIC / NATS

DATELINE: 03 FEBRUARY 2025, GAZA CITY

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Shotlist

1.    Various shots, a shop specialized in repairing alternative energy batteries in Gaza City
2.     Various shots, Alaa Abu Sitta, who found his livelihood in repairing alternative energy batteries amid the electricity shortage in Gaza due to the war
3.     Various shots, Alaa Abu Sitta inspecting several alternative energy batteries in need of repair
4.    Various shots, Alaa Abu Sitta and one of his workers repairing alternative energy batteries with basic, primitive tools
5.    SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Alaa Abu Sitta:
"Anyone who has a tent in these conditions and lacks lighting is eventually forced to repair their alternative battery. We help people repair batteries because new ones are not available in the market, and since new batteries are not being allowed in, we are forced to restore the old ones."
6.    Various shots, Alaa Abu Sitta and one of his workers repairing alternative energy batteries with basic, primitive tools
7.     SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Alaa Abu Sitta:
"I serve people here and I don't overcharge them for battery repairs. If the cost of repairing a battery is 30 shekels and someone tells me they only have 20 shekels, I say that's enough. But I also face difficulty finding materials to repair the batteries due to their scarcity. I searched all pharmacies for plastic syringes to remove the dirty water from the batteries and only found them at a veterinary clinic, miraculously, so I can provide the necessary tools to clean faulty batteries."
8.    Various shots, children playing around a broken electricity pole in Gaza City
9.    Various shots, the destruction of the electricity infrastructure in Gaza City
10.    Various shots, Palestinians lining up outside a shop dedicated to charging alternative batteries and mobile phones using solar energy
11.    Various shots, a shop dedicated to charging alternative batteries and mobile phones using solar energy, with a sign in Arabic reading (Phone Charging Station)
12.    Various shots, inside the shop dedicated to charging batteries and phones, showing the large number of people benefiting from the phone charging services
13.   SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Salah Hammami, the owner of one of the alternative energy projects in Gaza City:
"I have a charging station here where I charge batteries and phones for people. I face many problems here due to the occupation and power outages. We suffer from intermittent charging and broken batteries. There is also a lack of suitable cables for charging. Our problem is that we can only charge 40 perecent of the phone and battery capacity. People rely on battery-powered lighting during the evening or use their phone lights at night due to the absence of regular lighting and electricity. We suffer from this situation."
14.    Various shots, Abu Dabag’s family entering their tent amidst the destruction in their area
15.   SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ibtihal Abu Dabag:
"The price of the battery is high, and I can't afford to buy it. It requires a lot of money, and I can't manage to save it. I charge my phone every day for one shekel, and it lasts until evening, then the charge runs out. At night, we hear the sounds of dogs, and my children are scared. Even if my children need to drink water at night, I feel my way through the darkness to get to the water. I suffer a lot from the absence of a battery and electricity. I don't know what to do. If I had the money, I would have bought a battery or a portable light."
16.   Various shots, a tent in Gaza City after sunset
17.   Various shots, tents in Gaza City amidst total darkness due to the lack of lighting

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Storyline

The electricity crisis in the Gaza Strip has persisted since the onset of the Israeli war in October 2023, with the infrastructure of the electricity networks being severely damaged across all cities in the region. This has forced residents to seek limited alternatives, primarily solar energy, and led to the emergence of new professions such as solar-powered charging stations and alternative battery repair.

According to the Gaza Electricity Company, initial losses in areas that crews managed to access amounted to 450 million dollars, with destruction exceeding 80 percent. In the streets of Gaza, electricity poles and streetlights no longer stand, as most of them were either destroyed or severely damaged during more than 14 months of warfare.
Alaa Abu Sitta, who works in alternative battery repair, explains how this profession has become a daily necessity, stating, "Anyone who has a tent in these circumstances and lacks a source of lighting is eventually forced to repair their alternative battery. We help people because new batteries are not available in the markets, so we focus on restoring old batteries."

Alaa also mentions the challenges he faces in securing maintenance supplies, adding, "I don't overcharge people for repairs. If the repair costs 30 shekels and a person only has 20 shekels, I tell them that it's enough. But I face difficulties finding basic materials. I even searched all the pharmacies for plastic syringes to remove the dirty water from the batteries and found them only in a veterinary clinic, miraculously."

Salah Hammami, the owner of a charging station in Gaza City, highlights the extent of the suffering, saying, "I charge batteries and phones for people, but we face many problems due to the complete power outage. There are no suitable cables, and the charge doesn't exceed 40 percent of the battery's capacity, which forces people to rely on their phone lights at night instead of regular lamps."

Ibtihal Abu Dabag, who lives in a tent next to her destroyed home, expresses her hardship, saying, "The battery price is high, and I can't afford it. I charge my phone daily for one shekel, but it runs out by evening. At night, we hear the sounds of dogs, and my children are scared. Even if they need to drink water, I feel my way through the darkness to reach it. If I had the money, I would buy a battery or a portable lamp."

In light of these circumstances, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stated in a report that intensive efforts are underway across Gaza to restore basic services, despite the significant destruction and ongoing restrictions on the entry of necessary equipment. The electricity crisis remains one of the most pressing challenges in Gaza, with no immediate solutions in sight, as residents continue to adapt to enforced darkness with primitive means imposed by the war and siege conditions.

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27930
Production Date
Creator
UNIFEED
Alternate Title
unifeed250204d
Subject Topical
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MAMS Id
3334996
Parent Id
3334996