Civil Defense in Gaza: We face difficulties operating our essential vehicles, equipment due to fuel shortages
The Civil Defense in the Gaza Strip announced that for weeks its teams have been facing severe difficulties in securing the fuel needed to operate its remaining essential vehicles and equipment, including fire trucks, rescue vehicles, and ambulances, in addition to the gasoline generators used for hazard removal and rescuing those trapped.
In a statement issued Thursday and seen by the Yemeni News Agency (Saba), the Civil Defense said, “This equipment is the backbone of our rescue operations, firefighting, evacuating the injured, and providing services to our people in the Gaza Strip.”
It added, “Despite our repeated appeals to all relevant parties, the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) continues to implement arbitrary and obstructive procedures that prevent us from accessing the required quantities of fuel. The office has adopted an inadequate distribution policy that is not commensurate with the scale of our fieldwork, which has severely hampered our teams’ ability to carry out their humanitarian duties.”
The statement confirmed that 50% of civil defense services in the Gaza Strip have effectively ceased due to the lack of fuel needed to operate vehicles. Rescue teams have been unable to reach thousands of dangerous and damaged buildings, and search and rescue operations are now threatened with complete halt. A significant portion of the response to fires, explosions, and collapses has also been disrupted, directly endangering civilian lives.
It revealed severe difficulties in operating power generators at civil defense centers and ambulance stations throughout the Strip, in addition to the gasoline generators used for hazard removal.
The statement stated that the Palestinian Civil Defense, under this administrative and logistical blockade imposed by an organization supposedly supporting humanitarian work, finds itself unable to perform its basic duties towards civilians. He held UNOPS fully responsible for any delays or obstructions in rescue operations and for any loss of life resulting from the disruption of essential services that require fuel.
It demanded the lifting of all restrictions hindering the supply of fuel to the Civil Defense and the immediate provision of full operational quantities without delay. He also called for the adoption of a clear and transparent mechanism to ensure the continuous flow of fuel commensurate with the scale of the emergency in the Gaza Strip.
The statement affirmed that the Civil Defense teams will continue working to the best of their remaining capabilities and will fully carry out their humanitarian duty.
The Civil Defense expressed its deep gratitude and appreciation to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) for its responsible role in supporting humanitarian work within the Gaza Strip, and for its ongoing efforts in facilitating, monitoring, and providing support to the Civil Defense teams in the most complex and dangerous circumstances.