Occupied Palestinian Territories - Humanitarian Update, September 2011

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

SEPTEMBER OVERVIEW

Events in September highlighted a number of factors contributing to the vulnerability of the lives and livelihoods of many Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt).

September witnessed a serious escalation in Israeli settler violence resulting in one Palestinian killed and 68 others injured, a family of twelve displaced, and nearly 2,500 trees burnt, cut down, or otherwise vandalized. Other developments in September related to settler activities highlighted the long-standing and pervasive lawlessness underlying the phenomenon of settler violence. These include the closure without indictment of an investigation into a serious settler attack that was video-recorded in 2008, as well as the official announcement by Israeli authorities of their intention to "legalize" one large settlement in the Ramallah area (Ofra), which was built without building permits, mostly on private Palestinian land.

In the northern West Bank, the livelihoods of hundreds of Palestinian families in three villages were also undermined due to the demolition by the Israeli authorities of six water wells, on the grounds that the wells were dug without permission by the Israeli-Palestinian Joint Water Committee. The wells were used for the irrigation of approximately 3,000 dunums of farmland. To cope with the water shortfall, some affected farmers have resorted to the use of storm water runoff and untreated raw sewage for irrigation, creating an environmental health hazard. Of additional concern, the demolished the wells were located in Area B, where under the Interim Agreement of 1995, planning powers has been under the auspices of the Palestinian Authority.

The severe funding deficit facing UNRWA, which supports more than two-thirds of Gaza's population, has had a detrimental effect on the already severe humanitarian conditions in that part of the oPt. The funding shortfall, estimated at USD36 million, has forced UNRWA to reduce or suspend a number of programmes related to job creation, food assistance, education and counseling. Beyond the immediate impact, Gaza, given that UNRWA employs some 9 percent of Gaza's workforce, the cuts are expected to negatively affect unemployment rates in the coming months, increasing the risk of humanitarian vulnerability.

As the occupying power, the Government of Israel is ultimately responsible for the protection and wellbeing of the Palestinian population in the oPt. Exercising this responsibility requires serious action to enforce the law on Israeli settlers, who reside illegally in the West Bank according to international law. Unilateral actions targeting the property and livelihoods of protected civilians, such as the destruction of water wells, must also stop.

ISSUES IN FOCUS

IMPEDIMENTS TO EDUCATION IN JERUSALEM AREA
With the beginning of the 2011-2012 school year, there are ongoing concerns that Palestinian children living in East Jerusalem are not being afforded adequate resources to meet their educational needs. Education in East Jerusalem remains under the direct responsibility of the Israeli authorities. Widespread classroom shortages and substandard conditions in schools remain of high concern. The municipal school system is unable to absorb all school children in East Jerusalem, and every year thousands of Palestinian children are turned away. For those students who do have a spot, double shifting is common, and schools are often forced to hold classes in rented houses that do not meet basic educational and health standards. Currently, six schools in East Jerusalem have structures with outstanding demolition orders.

And yet, community attempts to address the insufficient resources allocated to the Palestinian student population by the Jerusalem Municipality are often met with numerous bureaucratic and other systemic obstacles, preventing them from filling the gap in educational needs. For example, in September, Israeli authorities carried out a series of actions targeting three kindergartens in the Jerusalem area, affecting over 130 Palestinian children. One kindergarten in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Al Thouri (Abu Tour) was prevented by the Israeli authorities from opening at the beginning of the school year, due to allegations of affiliation to Hamas. Another kindergarten, located along the Barrier in Abu Dis, faced continued raids by Israeli forces searching for Palestinians who breach the Israeli Barrier. A third kindergarten established by the Bedouin community in Anata, which is located in the Area C part of the Jerusalem Governorate, is under threat of demolition, following receipt of demolition orders from the Israeli Civil Administration.

Under international law, all children are entitled to receive education in a safe and adequate learning environment. As the occupying Power, Israel has an obligation to protect civilian infrastructure, including schools, and to facilitate the proper working of all institutions that are devoted to the care and education of children. The demolition, closure or raiding of schools and kindergartens run counter to this obligation.

Case Study: The Comboni Nursery
The kindergarten is located in Abu Dis in East Jerusalem, and has been open since 1966. The outer wall of the playground forms part of the Israeli Barrier itself. Immediately abutting the school is an Israeli military installation, with a checkpoint and observation tower. Up until the end of the 2008-2009 school year, the checkpoint was a gate in the Barrier, and Israeli forces would open the door and allow the children through to the Kindergarten. However, since the gate was upgraded to a checkpoint-like structure in mid-2009, access has been completely forbidden, except for medical emergencies and funerals, and now children who used to commute a very short distance to their school, have to enter Jerusalem by foot through Az-Zaytoun checkpoint, taking two buses to complete the hour-long detour.

Testimony of teacher Karima Khatib :

"I live in Al 'Eizariya and accompany six children from the village through Zaytoun checkpoint to come here. A bus takes us from Al 'Eizariya to the checkpoint, we cross it by foot, and another bus picks us up from the other side and drives us to school. In the mornings, the checkpoint is full of adults trying to get to work, so there is often a lot of pushing and shoving, and the kids, who are only three and four-year-olds, and are often crushed in the heavy foot traffic.

Two years ago, the trip was easier and much shorter; many of the parents would just drop off their kids at the gate next to the school, and we also had a whole busload of children, in all, 56 children coming from Al 'Eizariya. Last year, the number went down to 11 children, and since the beginning of this school year (5 September), we're down to six children coming from the other side of the Wall. The journey usually takes about an hour in the morning, and transportation to the school has become very expensive--whereas before the closure of the checkpoint next door, it used to cost about 1400NIS (AUD$365) each child for the year to travel from Al 'Eizariya to the school, now it costs more than 4000NIS (AUD$1,040). Also, the soldiers manning the checkpoint can be rude and insulting, and sometimes make it difficult for us to pass. For example, once last year they demanded that I show them the birth certificates of the 11 children who I was with! I tried to explain to them that I can't produce such documents, because I'm not their mother--I'm their teacher. For a long time they wouldn't listen, however, after a long wait, they finally let us through.

This year, we were hoping that the Israelis would again allow us to use the checkpoint next door, but so far this hasn't happened.

However, access to the school isn't our only problem. Almost every other day, because the Wall, which also encloses the school play area, is of lower height than is usually the case in other areas, Palestinians jump over the Wall to enter Jerusalem, and enter through a gap in the fence. There is an electronic sensor on the Wall, and almost immediately, Israeli troops, without warning and usually accompanied by trained dogs, enter the school and begin searching the grounds, classrooms and bathrooms. Just this last week, I was surprised by a tall Israeli soldier, and a police dog, searching the school grounds. I just froze; it was frightening. I can't tell you how many times Israeli troops have entered this last month, but it happens at least 2-3 times a week."

Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

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