Confirmed: Gaza Has More Fuel Than Most Of Eastern Europe As Russia Shuts Down Gas Pipelines
Humanitarian aid update - 5 Jan 2009 - Fuel replenishment - The fuel depot at Nahal Oz [in Gaza] is scheduled to convey some 200,000 liters of fuel both for the power station and other humanitarian needs. The depot was closed for the last week due to security concerns that impeded the ability to operate the crossing... Also, Nahal Oz fuel depot operated and conveyed 215,000 liters of heavy duty diesel (required for the Gaza power station), 93,000 liters of diesel for the use of various UN organizations and 50 tons of cooking gas for domestic uses.
Six countries reported a complete shutoff of Russian gas shipped via Ukraine on Tuesday, in a sharp escalation of a struggle over energy that threatens Europe as winter sets in. Bulgaria, Greece, Macedonia, Romania, Croatia and Turkey all reported a halt in gas shipments from Russia through Ukraine. Croatia said it was temporarily reducing supplies to industrial customers and Bulgaria said it had enough gas for only "for a few days."... Ukraine's state gas company Naftogaz said Russia's gas giant Gazprom had sharply reduced its shipments to Europe through pipelines crossing Ukraine, triggering the cuts.
The current temperature in Sofia is well below freezing. At night it's been hovering around 20F. That means that there will actually be people freezing to death - huddling in their homes until their bodies just give up - if Russia and the Ukraine don't work this out. I have no doubt that the international community will treat this genuine humanitarian crisis with the same level of concern that they've brought to bear on the nonexistent humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Although no one really criticized Russia for turning back aid envoys during their Georgia invasion and there's a remarkable absence of condemnation about their recent Georgia landgrabs. I'm sure there's a different explanation but it almost seems like there's a double standard or something.
References:
* Humanitarian aid update [Israel MFA]
* Russia Shuts Off Gas to 6 European Nations [Fox News]
* IDF coordination chief: There is no humanitarian crisis [MR]
* Russians turn back aid convoys inside Georgia [JPost]
* Russia retakes Georgian village near South Ossetia [JPost]
Previously:
* Russian Warships Head Off For "Combat Training" In Atlantic And Mediterranean
* Great News: Russia To Sell Cutting Edge Anti-Aircraft Missiles To Iran (Plus: Iranian Navy Doubles Down)
* Russia Running Out Of Israeli Enemies That They Haven't Provided With Cutting-Edge Military Tech
