2013-03-25
The Gaza Strip suffers daily power cuts of eight hours or more; the region's only power plant produces far too little electricity to meet the people's needs. How did things get this far, after massive international aid has been invested in the region that was supposed to help the Gazans?
The explanation can largely be found in the power plant's history, which combines EU funding, the interests of a powerful Israeli oil company and a Hamas strategy.
The energy issue in Gaza is of paramount importance; for the citizens – 1.7 million over an area of 365 km2; for water desalinisation and purification; for hospitals and their patients; for the Hamas government that is searching consensus on energy autonomy; and last but not least for one of the few investments in infrastructure in Gaza: the Gaza Power Plant (GPP). It is an issue that involves the Israeli, Palestinian and British business world. And 250 million Euros from the European Union, which seems to have been spent a little carelessly, to say the least.
“Gaza’s gas: the EU’s burned millions” by Cecilia Ferrara and Assia Rabinowitz has been shortlisted together with other 71 finalists for the Data Journalism Awards 2013 (DJA).
Supported
Grant of €5.000 Euros, awarded on 26/03/2012ID
ECB/2012/084Tags
ONLINE
- 'Il gas di Gaza e gli sprechi dell’Unione Europea' (IT) (Limes, 18 March 2013)
- 'L'argent brulé de l'Europe' (FR) (Le Huffington Post, 24 March 2013)
- 'Gaza's gas: the EU's burned millions' (EN) (IRPI, 25 March 2013)
- 'Gaza's gas: EU millions up in smoke' (EN) (EUobserver, 24 April 2013)
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