Occupied Palestinian Territories - Humanitarian Update, May 2008

Summary of monthly Humanitarian Monitor report produced by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

KEY ISSUES OVERVIEW

Update on Gaza
(a) Violence - Forty Palestinians were killed during May in the Gaza Strip in direct conflict related incidents, including six child fatalities and 14 unarmed civilians. An additional 107 Palestinians were injured in May, among whom 11 were children. Most casualties occurred as a result of Israeli Air Force (IAF) attacks. Two Israeli civilians were killed and 20 injured, including 16 civilians and four IDF soldiers, by rockets and mortars fired by Palestinian militants from the Gaza Strip into Israel.

(b) Impact of fuel crisis - During May, fuel supplies (including benzene, diesel and industrial gasoline) allowed by Israel into the Gaza Strip increased by 46% compared to April (from 7.8 million litres in April to 11.4 million litres in May). However, this amount constituted less than half of Gaza's monthly fuel requirements (about 26 million litres). As a result, MoH (Ministry of Health) hospitals in the Gaza Strip continued to limit their services. None of the three wastewater treatment plants across the Gaza Strip was able to function normally due to fuel shortages, forcing the Utility to dump about 80,000 cubic metres (m3) of raw and partially treated sewage into the Mediterranean Sea each day. The MoH and WHO collected 30 seawater samples along the Gaza Strip coast, 11 of which were identified as polluted.

(c) Gaza crossings - Of the 1,821 truckloads allowed into Gaza, 258 contained humanitarian aid goods. The vast majority of imported commodities in May remained limited to food, hygiene and medical supplies. No exports have been allowed since December 2007. Rafah Crossing has remained closed since 9 June 2007. Erez Crossing was open on 23 days during May, and was again closed on 22 May when a Palestinian suicide bomber blew up a truck filled with explosives at the crossing, which caused significant structural damage for the crossing but no casualties were reported. As a result, the crossing was closed for three days, obstructing the movement of humanitarian aid workers and medical cases.

(d) Access of Palestinian patients through Erez (WHO) - During May, 1,089 patients from Gaza applied for permits to cross Erez Crossing for treatment in specialised health services in the West Bank (including E. Jerusalem), Israel, Egypt and Jordan. Of the total number, 570 patients (or 52%) were granted permits, 517 of whom had actually crossed.

"Stop work" orders against Palestinian-owned structures in southern West Bank
During May, 39 "stop work" orders and three demolition orders were issued by the ICA (Israeli Civil Administration) against structures that lack building permits and are owned by Palestinians, located in Area C of the Bethlehem and Hebron governorates.

Whenever a "stop work" order is issued, the owner of the targeted structure is invited to apply for a building permit and be heard by the relevant committee of the ICA. However, more than 94% of applications for such building permits submitted by Palestinians between 2000 and 2007 were denied. If no application is submitted or if the application is rejected by the ICA, a demolition order will be issued. No further step is required before a demolition order is executed.

Joint WFP/UNRWA/FAO survey on food security
Previously self-reliant families are progressively falling into the poverty trap due to the deteriorating Palestinian livelihoods.

A recent joint WFP/UNRWA/FAO report shows the following:

• In 2008, 38% of the Palestinian population is food insecure compared with 34 percent in 2006.
• Food insecurity in the Gaza Strip is more widespread; 56% compared to 25% in the West Bank.
• Food insecurity is higher among refugees (44%) compared to non refugees (33 percent) however, both population groups faced a similar increase (10%) in their food insecurity in the past two years.
• Food insecurity reaches 50% in camps.
• In the West Bank, more than 50% of each dollar earned is now spent on food whereas in the Gaza Strip people spend more than 60% of each dollar earned on food. Poor families are the most affected, spending three quarters of their money on food.
• Palestinians living in refugee camps continue to exhibit the highest levels of food insecurity (50%); however, populations in urban areas have faced the highest increases in food insecurity over the past two years (from 19% to 22% in the West Bank and from 53% to 56% in the Gaza Strip).
• Approximately 54% of the food insecure people live in urban areas, compared to 27% in rural and 19% in refugee camps.
• The share of food expenditure over the total household expenditure is as high as 64% in urban areas compared to 60% in rural areas and 67% in refugee camps.

REGIONAL OVERVIEW

West Bank & East Jerusalem

Protests in Ni'lin village - During May, the village of Ni'lin in Ramallah governorate witnessed a series of demonstrations in protest against the commencement of Barrier constructions in the area. After taking a petition to the Israeli High Court of Justice to prevent construction of the Barrier on the village land, the Court directed the IDF to re-route the Barrier further away from the village. According to information provided to OCHA by Ni'lin's village council, the new route will affect approximately 2,500 dunums of Ni'lin agricultural land, which will be either used for the Barrier construction or left behind the Barrier once it is constructed. The village has received two additional land requisition orders for the purposes of constructing an IDF military base and a "Fabric of Life" tunnel under road 446 to connect the Palestinian villages of Ni'lin and Deir Qaddis. As a result, some further 650 dunums of Ni'lin land will be isolated and damaged. The IDF has responded violently to each protest held by Palestinian, Israeli and international activists. This has lead to the injury of 41 Palestinians and one international protestor. Injuries, including cases of asphyxia, were caused by tear gas, beatings and rubber-coated metal bullets.

Reports on settler incidents - During May, two incidents involving Israeli settlers were reported in the Ramallah and Jerusalem governorates, resulting in the death and injury of Palestinians. On 6 May, a mob of more than 50 Israelis attacked two males, aged 16 and 18, from Shufat Camp in the East Jerusalem settlement of Pisgat Ze'ev. The incident was taped and 11 Israeli youths were indicted for stabbing and beating the two Palestinians. On 9 May, Israeli settlers from the Beit El settlement shot and killed a 19-year-old Palestinian male, while he was hunting with another Palestinian near 'Ein Yabrud village in Ramallah governorate. According to the settlers' version of events, they opened fire at the Palestinians because they were armed. Since the beginning of the year, three Palestinians have been killed and nine injured in the Ramallah and Jerusalem governorates during different incidents involving Israeli settlers.

Increase in closure days - During May 2008, Palestinians holding West Bank IDs with valid permits to enter Israel were prevented from accessing East Jerusalem and Israel for 13 days due to announced closures on the West Bank during Jewish holidays. In the first five months of 2008, Israel imposed this type of closure on 37 days (or 24% of the days), compared to 19 days (or 13% of the days) during the same period in 2007, and compared to 37 days in the whole of 2007. Among those most severely affected by these closures are more than 60,000 Palestinians employed in East Jerusalem and in Israel.

Gaza Strip

Update on fishing - The total fishing catch in May 2008 was 757 MT, representing a 10% increase in comparison with May 2007 (687 MT). The income from fishing catch represents about NIS6 million (approx. US$1.8m). Reasons leading to significant improvement are due to the occurrence of the high season of sardines in May and the implementation of a new fuel distribution mechanism resulting in a slight increase in fuel allocated to fishermen.

Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

© Union Aid Abroad - APHEDA 2003.

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