{"id":193181,"date":"2009-08-31T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-03-12T16:33:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/?p=193181"},"modified":"2019-03-12T16:33:41","modified_gmt":"2019-03-12T16:33:41","slug":"auto-insert-193181","status":"publish","type":"document","link":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/document\/auto-insert-193181\/","title":{"rendered":"The Humanitarian Monitor: OPT (August 2009) – OCHA report"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n

\n

\n<\/p><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\n\n
\n
\n

<\/p><\/div>\n

<\/td>\n

\n
\n

Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵITED NATIONS<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

occupied Palestinian territory<\/strong><\/span>\t<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\n\n
\n
\n

T<\/strong><\/span>hE<\/strong><\/span>T<\/strong><\/span>hE<\/strong><\/span> h<\/strong><\/span>Um<\/strong><\/span>THE HUMANITARIAN MONITOR<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

\n

 August 2009<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

\n\t\t\t\tAugust Overview<\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n
\n

ISSUES COVERED THIS MONTH<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/p>\n

West Bank, including East Jerusalem<\/strong>: Downward trend in conflict-related injuries • Decrease in West Bank demolitions and resultant displacement • Palestinians evictions in East Jerusalem • Water scarcity response; access restrictions result in displacement • Travel ban on a Hebron City road partially eased; two new checkpoints added elsewhere • Reduced access to land behind the Barrier in the Ramallah and Jerusalem governorates • Humanitarian Access in the West Bank • New visa policy restricts access to and within the West Bank • New Israeli order to set up juvenile military courts • New Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ report: Food insecurity levels remain unchanged<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Gaza Strip<\/strong>: At least 28 killed in Palestinian inter-factional fighting • Increase in Israeli-Palestinian violence and casualties; air strikes resume • New reports document the targeting of Palestinian and Israeli civilians • The blockade continues; imports slightly increased • Slight increase in access of patients to specialized treatment outside Gaza • Depletion of essential drugs • OCHA report on the humanitarian impact of the blockade • Conclusion of 2009 Summer Games in Gaza<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

oPt-wide issues<\/strong>: OPT Child Protection figures at a glance • Back to school: Hundreds of thousands of children affected by shortage of facilities and equipment • Report on abusive practices against Palestinian children • Consolidated Appeals Process and Funding<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

\n\t\t\t\tThis month, one of the deadliest intra-Palestinian armed clashes since the Hamas takeover of Gaza claimed the lives of 28 people, including five civilians; over 100 others were injured in the incident.  Aside from this incident, there were no significant changes in protection and access trends observed during previous months. Palestinian casualties due to Israeli-Palestinian violence remained relatively low in August, in comparison with monthly averages in the first half of the year, and Palestinian movement to and from the main urban centers in the West Bank continued to be relatively smooth, with the exception of access to East Jerusalem. However, access to large farming and grazing areas and water resources in the West Bank remain heavily restricted, and Israel’s blockade of Gaza continues to severely impact livelihoods and services.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tThe vulnerability of Palestinian children was highlighted this month by a series of troubling incidents and developments. In the Gaza Strip, a one-year-old girl died while waiting for an appointment to undergo surgery, unavailable in Gaza, at an East Jerusalem hospital. A 16-year-old Palestinian boy was shot and killed by the IDF after entering the so-called “buffer zone” along the border fence. In the West Bank, the night before the first school day of the year, a 15-year-old boy died when shot in the chest by Israeli forces in a concrete watchtower; since October 2008, two other boys have been shot and killed by Israeli snipers from the same tower. In East Jerusalem, 20 children, along with their families were forcibly evicted from their homes in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, and, in the Massafer Yatta area of southern Hebron, 58 households, with a majority of children, were unable to receive water because the road to their village is blocked by earthmounds.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tAs in past months, over 350 Palestinian children were held in Israeli prisons by the end of August. In response to criticisms by human rights groups, this month the IDF established a special military court for Palestinian minors up to the age of 15, including the appointment of juvenile judges. Behind the investment in this new court, lies a worrying scenario of continued arrests, prosecutions and imprisonments of Palestinian children for offences against the Israeli military and Israeli settlers in the West Bank.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tThe beginning of a new school year highlights ongoing concerns regarding shortages of educational space and materials, affecting hundreds of thousands of Palestinian children. Eighteen schools in Gaza remain destroyed since Israel’s “Cast Lead” offensive, and at least 280 schools with minor-to-severe damages cannot be reconstructed or repaired due to Israel’s ban on the import of building materials, resulting in overcrowded classrooms; the Gaza school day is disrupted by ongoing shortages of notebooks, textbooks and other education materials. In East Jerusalem, there is a shortage of 1,000 classrooms, and over 5,000 Palestinian school-age children are not registered in any school. In Area C of the West Bank, over ten schools identified by OCHA are threatened with demolition orders, including the Jahalin Bedouin community school, built out of tires and mud to accommodate 100 children between the ages 4 and 7.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tThe most common infectious diseases affecting children in Gaza are due to unsafe water supplies (watery diarrhoea, acute bloody diarrhoea and viral hepatitis), and materials needed to upgrade existing wastewater infrastructure remain restricted from entry into Gaza. Eighty million liters of raw and partially-treated sewage are released daily into the environment, polluting the underground aquifer, Gaza’s only source of natural water. Many people in Gaza are forced to buy desalinated water from unregulated water desalination operators, who are neither monitored nor held to basic health and safety standards. In an event held on 3 September, a number of humanitarian aid agencies, expressed deep concern over the ongoing water and sanitation crisis.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tThere is an ongoing challenge to ensure protection of children in the oPt. This year, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA’s summer games successfully met this challenge in the psycho-social sector, servicing 250,000 Gazan children and reaching 500 additional children in hospitals and orphanages, who were unable to reach the event locations. Special arrangements were made to entertain bedridden children, such as puppet shows, clowns and the showing of cartoons.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tThis month, Gazan children broke the Guinness Book of World Records for flying the most kites simultaneously—3,710 kites soared over Gaza at the same time. Similar creativity and concrete efforts are required to offer greater protection and ensure a dignified life for Palestinian children throughout the occupied Palestinian territory.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tWest Bank<\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tDownward trend in conflict-related injuries continues<\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tDuring August, a Palestinian boy was killed and 36 others, including six children, were injured by Israeli security forces (31) and Israeli settlers (5) in the West Bank. The number of Palestinian injuries represents a 38 percent increase compared to the parallel figure during July (26), which registered the lowest number of injuries since February 2005. However, August’s injuries remained well below the monthly average of injuries since the beginning of the year (95).\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tThe gravest incident occurred on the night of 31 August, when Israeli soldiers shot and killed a 15-year-old Palestinian boy from Al Jalazun refugee camp (Ramallah), allegedly after he threw a Molotov cocktail at an IDF observation tower next to Beit El settlement. The boy, who was shot through the heart, was treated on site by Israeli paramedics and subsequently transferred to an Israeli hospital for treatment, where he died shortly upon arrival.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tFollowing the incident, Israeli soldiers fired gas canisters and sound bombs towards a gathering crowd, injuring one Palestinian paramedic and one Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA worker. Three other almost identical incidents (people shot after allegedly throwing Molotov cocktails at the military tower) occurred at the same location in 2008 and 2009, resulting in the deaths of three other Palestinians, including two children.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tThe declining trend in the number of Palestinian injuries is also reflected in the weekly anti-Barrier demonstrations held in Nil’lin, Bil’in (Ramallah) and Ma’sara (Bethlehem) villages, with eight Palestinians injured in August.<\/span>1<\/sup><\/span>  Israeli forces continued using the “skunk” bomb, a foul-smelling liquid first used in 2008, which induces nausea and vomiting, and causes demonstrators to disperse in order to escape the smell. Alongside the decrease in injuries, the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem reported that since June 2009, there has been an escalation in night time military operations conducted in Bil’in village by the IDF and the<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n

<\/p><\/div>\n

\n\t\t\t\tIsrael Security Agency (ISA), resulting in the arrest of people allegedly involved in the organization of the anti-Barrier demonstrations. According to testimonies gathered by the organization, some of the arrests and subsequent interrogations involved the ill-treatment of detainees.<\/span>2<\/sup><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tAlso this month, OCHA recorded a total of 29 incidents involving Israeli settlers targeting Palestinians and their property. While this represents a significant decrease compared to the number of incidents recorded in July (47), it is roughly the same as the monthly average of incidents since the beginning of 2009 (28). Four of this month’s incidents affecting Palestinians consisted of physical assault, resulting in a total of five injuries. In one of these incidents, a Palestinian man from ‘Azzun village (Qalqiliya) was severely beaten by a group of Israeli settlers from the Ma’ale Shomron settlement, and suffered from multiple bone fractures. In addition, during the month, OCHA recorded three incidents where Palestinians threw stones at Israeli vehicles traveling on West Bank roads; one Israeli was injured.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tLack of adequate law enforcement on violent Israeli settlers by the Israeli authorities is an ongoing concern. This month, the Israeli media reported that the Israeli police closed the investigation file of an incident that occurred on 8 June 2008 in south Hebron, during which three Palestinian family members were severely beaten and injured by masked settlers. While the incident was videotaped, the police, according to the media report, failed to produce a single suspect, resulting in the closure of the investigation.<\/span>3<\/sup><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tDecrease in West Bank demolitions and resultant displacement<\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tDemolitions and displacement decreased significantly in August, with fewer demolitions and less displacement than in any other month in 2009.  A total of four structures were demolished, down from 24 in July 2009: two residential structures were self-demolished in East Jerusalem, following receipt of demolition orders from the Jerusalem Municipality, displacing two adults; and two partially-built cisterns were demolished by the Israeli authorities in Area C. Also in August, OCHA received reports that the Israeli authorities delivered eight stop-construction orders<\/span>4<\/sup><\/span> affecting  Palestinian-owned structures in Area C (Nablus and Hebron governorate) and distributed renewed demolition orders against five homes in the Al Bustan area of Silwan neighborhood in East Jerusalem. In 2009, the Israeli authorities have demolished a total of 225 Palestinian-owned structures, including 92 residential structures; 81 percent (182) of these occurred in Area C. 2009 demolitions have resulted in the displacement of 515 Palestinians, over half of whom are children (262). A further 504, including 303 children, were affected.<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n

<\/p><\/div>\n

\n\t\t\t\t53 Palestinians evicted from their homes in East Jerusalem; hundreds more at risk<\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tOn 2 August, 53 Palestinians, including 20 children, from the Hanoun and Al Ghawi extended families were forced out of their homes in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem by Israeli authorities following a court ruling. Their homes were immediately handed over to a settler organization and their appeal to overturn the eviction before the District Court was rejected on 9 August. The families are currently divided between neighbours and relatives, while others continue staying on the sidewalk in front of their homes.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tThese two families are part of a community of refugees that moved to Sheikh Jarrah in 1956 following an agreement between Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA and the Government of Jordan. Settler organizations lay claim to 18 dunams of land in this area, with the stated intent of demolishing the existing Palestinian neighbourhood of 27 homes to make way for a new 200-unit settlement, putting an estimated 300 residents at risk of forced eviction. The claims have been contested by the Palestinian residents of the area and have been the subject of a protracted legal battle since 1972. Israeli courts have ruled in favour of such claims while failing to recognize the rights of Palestinian refugees to reclaim lost land and property.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tA settler organization also lays claim to several plots in another residential quarter of Sheikh Jarrah, Kubaniyat Im Haroun, which includes 33 units, home to around 175 people, most of whom are refugees. Although ownership is disputed and the case is still pending in Israeli courts, a group of settlers, accompanied by Israeli police and private security guards, occupied one of the buildings in the area on 26 July. There are also plans by settler associations to build some 90 housing units in the area of the Shepherd Hotel, and 250 housing units on the adjacent Karm el Mufti olive grove, on property which was expropriated by the Israeli authorities from the Husseini family in 1967. When similar efforts in other parts of Sheikh Jarrah are taken into account, the total number of planned settlement units rises to over 540, placing a total of 475 Palestinians at potential risk of forced eviction, dispossession and displacement. Of immediate concern is the physical, social, economic and emotional impact of forced evictions and demolitions on Palestinian families and communities.<\/span>5<\/sup><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

\n\n\n
\n

The fragmentation of Palestinian neighborhoods and the departure of the remaining residents owing to restrictions on movement and sustained Israeli security presence, as well as threats of harassment and intimidation by settler groups, also raises fears of a potential ‘Hebronization’ of this strategic location in East Jerusalem. Since the beginning of the second Intifada, similar developments in the H2 area of Hebron have led to over 1,000 homes vacated by Palestinian residents, and the closure of more than 1,800 Palestinian businesses. The forced displacement and dispossession of Palestinian residents of occupied East Jerusalem runs counter to Israel’s obligations under international law, including human rights and humanitarian law. This includes the use of the municipal courts and authorities to enable Jewish individuals or associations to lay claim to land and property allegedly owned in the occupied territory prior to 1948, while rejecting equivalent Palestinian rights to land and property in Israel and West Jerusalem.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t2009 Settlement expansion continues at slower pace<\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tDuring the month, the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics (ICBS) released new data on construction activities in Israeli settlements in the West Bank (excluding East Jerusalem). During the first half of 2009, construction began on 666 new housing units in settlements, reflecting a 34 percent decline in comparison to the number of building starts in the first half of 2008 (1,014). A milder six percent decline was reported by ICBS in the number of housing units completed during this period, compared with the same period last year (881 compared to 933).\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tAccording to Peace Now, an Israeli organization monitoring settlement activities, some of the new construction observed in the last six months, particularly in settlements on the eastern (“Palestinian”) side of the Barrier, is based on outline plans that were approved by the Israeli Civil Administration years ago and are only now being implemented by the settlements’ local and regional councils. According to the organization, it is within the power of the Government of Israel to revoke previously approved outline plans.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tIn addition to the construction activities reported by ICBS, Peace Now noted that between January and July 2009, at least 96 new structures were installed or built in one of the unauthorized settlement “outposts”.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tSimilar information regarding construction of Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem is currently unavailable. Yet, there is increasing concern over ongoing initiatives to establish new Israeli settlements in the heart of Palestinian neighborhoods, and to expand existing ones. According to the Israeli organization “Ir Amim”, as of January 2009, approximately 2,000 Israeli settlers live in Palestinian neighborhoods in East Jerusalem, primarily in the Old City and surrounding neighborhoods.<\/span>6<\/sup><\/span> Since the beginning of the year, various plans calling for the building of an additional 150 housing units in these areas have been submitted to the Jerusalem Municipality.<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tWhile most of this settlement activity is carried out by private associations, according to Ir Amim, this activity is facilitated by governmental and municipal bodies. (See also section on Sheikh Jarrah evictions).\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tAll Israeli settlements established in the West Bank are illegal under international humanitarian law (IHL), which prohibits the transfer of civilians from the territory of the occupying power into occupied territory.<\/span>7<\/sup><\/span> The establishment of Israeli settlements has had significant humanitarian ramifications on the Palestinian population, including a reduction in the areas available for Palestinian use and development, the imposition of severe access restrictions, and the exposure to systematic violence by settlers.<\/span>8<\/sup><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tWater scarcity response; access restrictions result in displacement<\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tIn August, a number of Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ humanitarian agencies and international NGOs began implementing a coordinated response to regional water scarcity, targeting some 55,000 Palestinians from vulnerable rural communities in the southern and eastern regions of the Hebron governorate, and areas of the Jordan Valley. Beneficiaries will receive 25 liters of drinking water per person per day, nine liters of water per sheep per day, and a total of one kg of fodder per sheep among the selected beneficiaries, for a period of two months. The ceiling for water and fodder distribution regarding sheep is 60 heads per herder.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tAlthough distribution went smoothly in most areas, in Massafer Yatta, south-east of Hebron, delivery of water and fodder has been prevented due to a series of earthmounds blocking access to three of the vulnerable communities (Halaweh, Mirkez and Jinba). Approximately 170 water trucks were planned to be delivered to these communities as part of the response, benefiting 58 households and almost 5,000 sheep. In the community of Jinba, about half of the population of 238 has reportedly relocated to the nearby town of Yatta due to the ongoing water crisis.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tIn a related development in July, the Israeli-Palestinian Joint Water Committee approved the installation of nine new water filling points in various areas affected by water scarcity and not connected to the water network. The Israeli water company (Mekorot) and the Palestinian Water Authority (PWA) have agreed, in principle, on the location of five of the approved filling points, and conducted technical field visits in the area of Al Beqa (Hebron), Jaba’ (Ramallah) and Al Mu’arrajat (Jordan Valley). The new filling points will benefit an estimated 100,000 Palestinians living these areas.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tSmooth movement between main cities continues;<\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\taccess to large rural areas remains restricted<\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tSimilar to the past two months, during August, movement of Palestinians to and from main urban centers in the West Bank was relatively smooth, with the exception of access to East Jerusalem and within the Israeli-controlled area of Hebron City (sees separate sections below). The current situation follows a series of easings implemented by the Israeli authorities since April 2008.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tThough the overall number of closure obstacles has remained relatively constant (see box below), access relaxation measures have resulted in a significant reduction in travel time between major cities, as well as a reduction in the points of friction between Palestinians and Israeli security forces. This is primarily the case because the large majority of West Bank obstacles are unstaffed earthmounds, roadblocks and gates, which are used to channel Palestinian traffic into a number of key checkpoints; while only three checkpoints were entirely dismantled since April 2008, access relaxation measures taken at some key checkpoints have had a significant impact on West Bank movement.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tFor example, during June 2009, four checkpoints controlling access to main cities (Nablus, Qalqiliya, Ramallah and Jericho) ceased to be permanently staffed and became “partial checkpoints”, staffed on an ad-hoc basis. At the beginning of September 2009, one of the four checkpoints controlling access to Jordan Valley (Ma’ale Efraim) became a partial checkpoint too, easing access between the northern West Bank and certain areas of the Jordan Valley.<\/span>9 <\/sup><\/span> In addition, searches and checking of documentation at a number of other checkpoints controlling Palestinian movement along key routes, are now performed only on a random basis, with most people being able to cross after short (5-10 minutes) delays. Such is the case in key checkpoints like Wadi Nar, on the main route between the southern and the central areas, Tappuah, on the main route between the central and northern areas, Huwwara, on the southern entrance to Nablus City, and Enav, on the eastern entrance to Tulkarm City.<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tIn spite of these positive developments, the continued presence of checkpoint infrastructure makes these improvements easily reversible, making it difficult to predict access conditions beyond the immediate period.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

\n\n\n\n
\n

CLOSURE COÄ¢¹½ÊÓƵT<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

As of the end of August 2009, there were a total of 619 obstacles within the West Bank territory (i.e. excluding eight checkpoints located on the Green Line), only slightly above the parallel figure by the end of April 2008 (611). Over the course of this 16-month period, OCHA has recorded the removal of approximately 130 obstacles and the addition of another 140. Current obstacles include 70 permanently staffed checkpoints, 23 “partial checkpoints”, (checkpoints staffed on an ad-hoc basis), and 526 unstaffed obstacles (roadblocks, earthmounds, earth walls, road barriers, road gates and trenches).<\/span>10<\/sup><\/span> Thirty-eight (38) of the 70 permanently staffed checkpoints are used by the Israeli authorities to prevent access of Palestinians without permits into East Jerusalem and Israel; yet, these checkpoints, most of which are located along the Barrier, block Palestinian access to West Bank communities and land on the other side of the checkpoint.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

\n\t\t\t\tIn addition, the recent easings have not improved access of Palestinians to large farming and grazing areas, as well as water resources, located in Area C, which remains severely restricted. For example, approximately 28 percent of the West Bank (all within Area C), mostly in the Jordan Valley and eastern Bethlehem, are still designated by the Israeli authorities as either “fire zones” or “nature reserves”, where Palestinian access is severely restricted, and any use or development by Palestinians is prohibited. Similarly, access of farmers to agricultural areas isolated by the Barrier remains limited by a restrictive permit regime. In the Bethlehem area, for example, land available for Palestinian development amounts to only 13 % of the governorate<\/span>11<\/sup><\/span>. As a result, the livelihoods of some of the most vulnerable communities in the West Bank continue to be impaired by movement restrictions (e.g., see section herein on the impact on movement restrictions on a water distribution program).<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tAlso of note, the above mentioned easings have taken place alongside a process of entrenchment of some of the mechanisms used to control and restrict Palestinian movement. This process includes, among other elements, the expansion of the alternative (“fabric of life”) road network and of key permanently staffed checkpoints. For example the Israeli authorities have recently completed the expansion of three key staffed checkpoints (Wadi Nar, Huwwara and Enav) and the expansion of two other checkpoints (Qalandia and Al Jib) is underway. While the new, so-called “fabric of life” roads and the expanded checkpoints usually contribute to easing movement, they also exact a price from Palestinians in terms of land loss, disruption of traditional routes, and deepening fragmentation of West Bank territory. As a result, they have also contributed to the shrinkage of West Bank land and space available for Palestinian use and development.<\/span>12<\/sup><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tTravel ban on a Hebron City road partially eased;<\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\ttwo new checkpoints added elsewhere<\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tIn early August, the Israeli authorities eased a years-long restriction prohibiting Palestinian vehicles from traveling on a road that runs across the Israeli controlled section of Hebron City (H2) – from the Giv’at Ha’avot settlement<\/span>13<\/sup><\/span> to the Ibrahimi Mosque. Only Palestinians residing along the road, who have registered their names and vehicle’s licenses with the Israeli Civil Administration, are now allowed to travel on this road.<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tAs of the end of August, there were 22 vehicles and 44 drivers registered on the list. In order to enforce the new access regime, the Israeli authorities have established two new checkpoints, staffed by the Israeli Border Police, at both ends of the road. Infrastructure at a third pre-existing staffed checkpoint, located along the road, has been recently expanded. Thus far, only vehicles have been stopped and checked at the new checkpoints. However, based on past experience, Palestinian residents have expressed concern over the possibility that these checkpoints will impede the movement of pedestrians as well.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tThese measures form part of a trend identified since April 2008 (outlined above), entailing the easing of Palestinian movement on certain key routes, along with the entrenchment of some of the mechanisms used to control and restrict Palestinian movement.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

\n\n\n\n
\n

Latest Developments: Nearly 60 percent of the Palestinian Muslim population<\/strong><\/p>\n

denied access to Friday prayers in East Jerusalem<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/p>\n

All of Gaza’s population, in addition to over 40 percent of the Palestinian population of the West Bank, has been prohibited from entering Jerusalem for Friday prayers during Ramadan this year. Access for Palestinians with West Bank ID cards is restricted to men over 50 and women over 45 years of age, and boys and girls under 12, who may pass without permits. Men between 45 and 50 and women between 30 and 45 years of age are eligible for special permits. In total, it is estimated that up to 60 percent of Muslim Palestinians are denied access to Friday prayers in East Jerusalem.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Even for those West Bank Palestinians who are eligible, entry proved difficult during the second and third Fridays (4 and 11 September), when the IDF estimates that approximately 130,000 and 190,000 Palestinians, respectively, entered East Jerusalem.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Access has been particularly problematic for women and children at Qalandiya checkpoint, the designated crossing point for those coming from the central and northern West Bank governorates. While males have been able to pass relatively smoothly, the lanes for women set up outside the checkpoint are made up of narrow stone passages, which are inadequate and potentially dangerous. On 4 and, especially, 11 September, the surge was such that women and children were knocked over. Once inside the checkpoint, only one lane has been provided for women and this has also proven dangerous; on 11 September, barriers cemented into the ground were knocked over due to overcrowding and mounted police horses were called in to control the women’s passage. While vehicle lanes were opened up multiple times on 4 September to relieve the backlog at the women’s lanes, this happened only once on 11 September, adding to the crush.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

According to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, 19 people were injured on 4 September while trying to access East Jerusalem via Qalandiya checkpoint. This number rose to 80 on 11 September, predominantly women and children, with 20 requiring treatment in hospitals in Ramallah.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

In order to ensure that West Bank Palestinians, who are eligible, can cross Qalandiya in a safer and more orderly manner, OCHA submitted recommendations of a practical nature to the District Coordination Liaison Office (DCL), none of which have been implemented, thus far. It remains unclear if West Bank Palestinians will be able to access East Jerusalem on the final Friday of Ramadan, which falls on 18 September, just before the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashana), when a general closure has been imposed on the West Bank in recent years.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tReduced access to land behind the Barrier<\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tin the Ramallah and Jerusalem governorates<\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tSince October 2003, Palestinians in the northern West Bank have been obliged to obtain visitor permits to access their land in the closed area between the Barrier and the Green Line (also named the “Seam Zone”.) Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ monitoring indicates that the restricted allocation of these visitor permits have severely curtailed agricultural production and undermined rural livelihoods in the areas where the permit regime applies.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tIn January 2009, the “Seam Zone” was extended to other areas of the West Bank, including parts of the Ramallah and Jerusalem governorates. Where farmers could previously access land behind the Barrier (albeit with delay and difficulty) by showing their ID cards and through a system of prior coordination with the Israeli District Coordination Liaison (DCL) Office, permits are now required for farmers wishing to access land through four agricultural gates in the Ramallah governorate and two in Jerusalem governorate. The affected communities are protesting this new requirement and no one has applied for a visitor permit to date.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tIn the Jerusalem governorate, three gates, which are staffed by the Israeli Border Police and control access to approximately half of Biddu and Beit Ijza agricultural land located behind the Barrier, still operate on an ID card and prior coordination basis. There are four opening days per week. Only those landowners and their family members whose names are approved by the Israeli DCL are allowed to use these gates. The list of names is generally valid for two weeks and renewal often takes up to 10 days, during which time the gates can remain closed. No grazing is allowed and access is also restricted for the entry of tools and machinery for ploughing the land.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tDelays in coordination of the lists led to the gates being closed for nine weeks between December 2008 and February 2009, preventing essential ploughing of the land and pesticide spraying of crops. The closure of the gates during April and June 2009 also resulted in the loss of most of the grape leaves and apricot harvest. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA and OCHA, which have been monitoring the functioning of these gates since July 2008, maintain that the list system and the gate opening system do not meet agricultural needs and are eroding the rural economy.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tIn the early hours of 27 August, an explosive device was detonated at one of these gates (Beit Izja gate).  Following the incident, the Israeli authorities closed all three gates until further notice, allowing no access for farmers to their land behind the Barrier. The grape crops of farmers from the two villages are seriously affected as a result, placing further strain on local livelihoods.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tHumanitarian Access in the West Bank<\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tDuring the month of August 2009, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ staff members reported a total of 63 access incidents involving delays or denials at checkpoints, resulting in the loss of 608 staff hours or the equivalent of 81 working days. While the total number of incidents decreased by 18 percent compared to July 2009 (77 incidents), time loss increased by 13 percent.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tWhile visual inspections of Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ vehicles are the norm, Israeli insistence on carrying out more invasive, internal searches of Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ vehicles resulted in three quarters of August incidents, mostly at the two main checkpoints controlling access to Jerusalem from the north and south – Qalandiya and Tunnels checkpoints, respectively.<\/span>14 <\/sup><\/span> Israeli forces at these checkpoints continue to insist on internal vehicle searches unless a diplomat is present in the vehicle.<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tOther incidents were triggered by the failure to accept the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ ID, as well as by demands of Israeli security personnel to Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ national staff to exit their vehicles and undergo a physical check.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tNew visa policy restricts access to and within the West Bank<\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tOver the past several months, Israeli border officials have begun using new entry visa stamps with the words “Palestinian Authority only” or “Israel only.” In addition, some foreign nationals have been required to sign pledges not to enter the “Palestinian Authority controlled areas” of the West Bank without prior permission, under penalty of legal action.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tThe precise meaning and legal implications of the newly-labelled stamps remain uncertain. Although there is no clear, official explanation of what is included in “Palestinian Authority areas”, they likely refer to areas designated “Area A” under the Oslo agreements, and perhaps also those defined as “Area B”, together comprising 40 percent of the West Bank territory. Defined as such, foreign nationals provided with a “Palestinian Authority only” visa are unable to enter over 60 percent of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem and areas defined under the Oslo agreements as “Area C”, as well as all of Israel. Instead, they are restricted to the geographically-disconnected pockets of Areas A and B. A similarly restrictive situation affects those with restrictions on entering PA areas. Also unclear is how these new measures affect access to Gaza: in recent years, the entry of foreign nationals to the Gaza Strip through Israel has been heavily restricted and subject to a separate permit system.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tThe consequences of the measures are of particular concern to the tourism industry, businessmen, investors, and consultants working with humanitarian aid and development organizations.  Also of concern is that the restrictive visas are reportedly being given mainly to persons of Arab descent or with ties to Palestinians. While there are currently no reports that the new policy has affected international organizations providing humanitarian or development assistance, there is concern among Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ agencies and international NGOs of the potential impact access restrictions may have on humanitarian staff to Area C and East Jerusalem, and on their transit between the West Bank and Gaza via Israel. All of these areas were defined by the humanitarian community as priorities for the provision of assistance and protection. The Association for International Development Agencies (AIDA) recently noted that “these measures could have serious repercussions on our ability to deliver humanitarian services and implement development projects.”\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tNew Israeli order to set up juvenile military courts<\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tOn 29 July, the IDF commander of the Central Command issued a military order establishing a separate military court for the prosecution of Palestinian children living in the West Bank (excluding East Jerusalem).<\/span>15<\/sup><\/span>  Among other provisions, the new order requires the appointment of juvenile judges and the holding of hearings in separate rooms than adults, or at different times.<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tThe military order was issued after years of criticism by human rights groups and Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ treaty bodies of the prosecution of Palestinian children in the same court system as adults.<\/span>16<\/sup><\/span>  That practice was inconsistent with Israel’s obligation under the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Convention on the Rights of the Child, “to promote the establishment of laws, procedures, authorities and institutions specifically applicable to children” accused of infringing the law.<\/span>17<\/sup><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tAlthough this development may potentially lead to improvements in the situation of children tried before the military courts, human rights groups monitoring Israeli military courts have pointed out a number of serious shortcomings. The new order does not rectify discrepancies in the definition of what constitutes a “minor”; while Israelis under 18 years of age are defined by Israeli civil courts as children, Israeli military orders, including the recent one, applicable to Palestinian children, define children aged 16 and 17 as adults to be tried in regular military courts. Recently, both the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Committee against Torture and the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Committee for Rights of the Child have raised concerns over these double standards in the definition of “minors”.<\/span>18<\/sup><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tAnother major concern relates to the lack of any clause providing safeguards during the interrogation of children. According to DCIPalestine, Palestinian children are regularly interrogated in the absence of a lawyer or a family member, resulting in confessions obtained after mistreatment and later used as the basis for the child’s conviction. Rights groups have also raised concerns over the continued trial of children in a system that, they report, routinely denies due process to Palestinians.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tDCI-Palestine estimates that more than 700 Palestinian children are prosecuted each year in Israeli military courts, with between 300 and 400 children held in Israeli prisons at any given time.  The most common charge levied against Palestinian children is stone-throwing at Israeli soldiers and settlers in the West Bank.  \n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tNew Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ report:  Food insecurity levels remain unchanged<\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tThe Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) released findings of a joint survey conducted in January-February 2009 on socioeconomic and food security trends in the West Bank covering the second half of 2008.<\/span>19<\/sup><\/span>  The survey found that 25 percent of Palestinian households in the West Bank were food insecure. Moreover, 11 percent of households were found to be “vulnerable to food insecurity”, 29 percent “marginally food secure” and the remaining 35 percent were food secure. While current figures cannot be rigorously compared to previous figures, due to methodological differences, FAO and WFP estimate that during the past three years, levels of food insecurity fluctuated at around the same level (i.e. 25 percent).<\/span>20<\/sup><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tThe survey found that food insecurity levels are higher among refugees (27.7 percent) in comparison to non-refugees (23.9 percent), and those living in refugee camps or rural areas have roughly equivalent levels of food insecurity (29 percent). Approximately 23 percent of those living in urban areas were found to be food insecure. This is a reversal of findings of a previous survey covering the first half of 2008, which indicated that urban dwellers are more vulnerable to food insecurity, due to increasing food prices.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tGeographically, Jenin, Tubas and Hebron governorates had the highest levels of food insecurity (over 30 percent each), while Ramallah, Nablus, Jericho and Bethlehem recorded the lowest (fewer than 20 percent). In addition, the level of food insecurity among those living in areas isolated by the Barrier, also called the “Seam Zone”, (28 percent) was higher than in the rest of the West Bank.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tFood insecurity in the West Bank is primarily a consequence of poverty and erosion of livelihoods, impacting the ability of households to afford sufficient quantities of quality food, rather than problems of food availability in the market. Households dependent on agriculture have been particularly affected in recent years by access restrictions imposed by the Israeli authorities; in this survey, approximately 10 percent of households who own land (about 10,000) reported having difficulties or being prevented to tend their land.  Those restrictions also limit food production from reaching its full potential, resulting in the continued reliance on food imports.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tGaza Strip<\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tAt least 28 killed in Palestinian interfactional fighting<\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tIn one of the deadliest inter-factional armed clashes since the Hamas takeover of Gaza, on 14 August in Rafah, at least 28 Palestinians were killed, including five civilians, and over 100 others were injured. The clashes involved Hamas-affiliated security forces and members of “Jund Ansar Allah” armed group, allegedly affiliated to Al Qaida. The fight took place after the group proclaimed the birth of an “Islamic Emirate” in Gaza, in defiance of the Hamas authorities. Al Mezan Center for Human Rights also reported that three houses were destroyed; three other buildings, including two residential structures and a mosque, sustained damage.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tIn the course of the armed fight, automatic weapons, rocket-propelled grenades and explosives were heavily used. After the clashes, Hamas security forces declared Rafah governorate and all Gaza hospitals as closed military zones, denied entry to media and human rights groups, erected checkpoints along the main roads throughout the Gaza Strip and conducted vehicle searches. According to a Hamas spokesperson, the group had carried out several recent attacks in Gaza, including bombings of a café, hairdressing salon and a music shop.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tHuman rights groups in Gaza expressed concerns over what they described as “disproportionate use of lethal force” by the Hamas security forces during the incident. They also called for all appropriate measures to be taken to prevent repetition of such incidents.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tIncrease in Israeli-Palestinian violence and casualties; air strikes resume<\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tDuring August, Israeli forces killed five Palestinian civilians, including one child, and injured another 12 people, 11 of whom were civilians; additionally, three Palestinian children were injured by UXO (unexploded ordnance) left behind from the “Cast Lead” military offensive. One Israeli soldier was also injured this month. The number of casualties during August reflects an increase in the number and gravity of violent incidents compared to July, when two Palestinians were killed and six injured. Since the implementation of the “Cast Lead” ceasefires on 18 January 2009, a total of 43 Palestinians and one Israeli have been killed and another 99 Palestinians and six Israelis have been injured in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Gaza and southern Israel.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tOf this month’s civilian casualties, two deaths and four injuries occurred as part of Israeli measures to enforce access restrictions to farming land, along the border fence with Israel, and to fishing areas along Gaza’s coast.<\/span>21<\/sup><\/span>  In one incident, on 24 August, Israeli forces shot and killed a 16-year-old Palestinian boy and injured two other Palestinians in northern Gaza, near the border fence. In another incident, a 60 year-old farmer was shot and injured east of Beit Hanoun, 700 metres away from the border fence, while working his land. On 27 August, Israeli naval forces shot and killed a Palestinian fisherman and injured another, while they were fishing from the shore in northern Gaza. This is the first fisherman killed since the implementation of the “Cast Lead” ceasefires. On at least 20 occasions during the month, Israeli forces opened warning fire towards Palestinian fishing boats, forcing them to return to shore. The restrictions on access to farm land and fishing areas within Gaza and in its territorial waters not only endanger civilian lives, but severely undermine the livelihood of thousands of farmers and fishermen and their dependents.<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tAlso this month, Israeli forces resumed airstrikes against targets in Gaza. Of note, three of August’s fatalities and seven injuries occurred on 25 August, as a result of airstrikes targeting tunnels under the Rafah-Egypt border. According to Israeli media reports, the attacks were in response to mortar shells fired by Palestinian militants towards southern Israel, slightly injuring one Israeli soldier. The following week, another Israeli airstrike targeted a group of Palestinian militants, east of Gaza City, resulting in one injury. These were the first Israeli airstrikes since 2 May 2009.  During the month, Palestinian factions continued to fire sporadic rounds of rudimentary rockets and mortar shells, mainly at Israeli military bases around Gaza.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tEight Palestinians (not included in the abovementioned casualty toll), including one boy, were killed and four others were injured in various tunnel-related incidents throughout August, mostly as a result of the collapse of tunnels. In addition, in two separate incidents, two Hamas-affiliated militants were killed in a blast of unconfirmed origin near the border, east of Jabalia. While the tunnels have provided some short term relief to the population through the supply of otherwise unavailable goods, economically, they do not constitute a sustainable alternative to lifting the blockade and the resumption of movement through the official crossings into Israel. Since the imposition of the blockade in June 2007, OCHA has recorded the death of 93 people in tunnel-related incidents. Of these, 44 were killed in 2009.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tNew reports document the targeting of Palestinian and Israeli civilians<\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tIn August, Human Rights Watch (HRW) released two reports documenting attacks on Palestinian and Israeli civilians, in the context of the Israeli- Palestinian conflict in the Gaza Strip and southern Israel.<\/span>22<\/sup><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tThe first report focused on the launching of rockets by Palestinian groups in Gaza towards populated civilian areas in Israel. According to the report, since November 2008, rocket attacks by Hamas as well as other Palestinian armed groups have claimed the lives of three Israeli civilians and injured dozens of others, damaged property and forced residents to leave their homes. According to the report, the unlawful launching of rockets from Gaza place approximately 800,000 Israeli civilians at risk. The report called on Hamas to renounce the launching of rocket attacks against Israeli civilians and hold those responsible accountable.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tThe second report focused on the killing of unarmed Palestinians by Israeli soldiers during the “Cast Lead” operation. The report documents seven incidents where Israeli soldiers fired on Palestinian civilians while waving a white flag. These incidents claimed the lives of eleven civilians, including four children, and injured at least eight others.  Through an examination of ballistic evidence and medical records, along with visits to attack sites and eyewitness interviews (at least three per case), HRW found that Israeli forces were in control of each of the areas where an attack took place, there was no fighting taking place at the time of the attack and there were no Palestinian fighters among the civilians who were shot. HRW concluded that, in each of the incidents, Israeli soldiers “failed to take feasible precautions to distinguish between civilians and combatants before carrying out the attack. At worst, the soldiers deliberately fired on persons known to be civilians.”\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tIn the latter report, HRW called for the establishment of a dedicated Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ mechanism to monitor efforts by Israel and Hamas to conduct transparent and impartial investigations into allegations of serious violations of the laws of war and related prosecutions. In the absence of these initiatives, HRW calls on Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ member states to press for international prosecutions.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tIn response to the report, the IDF was quoted in the media as questioning the reliability of the eyewitness testimony used in the report and stated that its soldiers were instructed to respect the white flag, arguing, however, that Palestinian militants had misused it during the conflict. The Israeli authorities have indicated that they are examining approximately 100 allegations of soldiers’ misconduct during “Cast Lead” and, as of end of July, had opened 13 criminal investigations.<\/span>23<\/sup><\/span> According to HRW and Israeli media reports, among those cases examined is that of a family raised in the HRW report, whose two daughters, ages two and seven, were killed and a third, aged four, was seriously injured, allegedly while in a group of civilians waving a white flag. The girls’ grandmother, age 54, was also wounded in the incident. ”<\/span>24<\/sup><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tThe blockade continues; imports slightly increased<\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tIn August, the number of truckloads allowed into Gaza (2,620) increased by approximately 15 percent compared to July (2,231), though representing less than 19 percent of the monthly average of truckloads that entered Gaza in the first five months of 2007 (12,350), before the Hamas takeover of the Gaza Strip. Imported truckloads designated for the private sector were approximately 85 percent of the imports; the rest were imported for use by humanitarian agencies.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tFood supplies made up the highest proportion of total truckloads, 77 percent, with the remaining truckloads consisting of fuel supplies, including cooking gas (six percent), hygiene and cleaning materials (six percent), agricultural raw materials (three percent), and other supplies (eight percent). The amount of cooking gas allowed into Gaza during August decreased by 26 percent (3,443 tonnes), compared to the previous month (4,652 tonnes), but remains 14 percent higher than the January-June 2009 monthly average.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tDuring August, approximately 9.7 million litres of industrial fuel (not included in the truckload count) were delivered to the Gaza Power Plant (GPP)—roughly 70 percent of the amount of fuel needed to operate the plant at full capacity. As a result, the Gaza Electricty Distribution Company (GEDCO) continues to schedule rolling blackouts through the Gaza Strip, lasting 6-8 hours a day, five days a week, for 90 percent of the population; the remaining 10 percent of Gaza’s population are not connected to the electricity grid, due to unrepaired damages incurred during the “Cast Lead” military operation.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tThe entry of other essential goods, including materials for reconstruction, spare parts for water and sanitation projects, and industrial and agricultural materials, remain either restricted to limited quantities, or barred from entry. The ongoing shortage of seeds, fertilizer, plastic sheeting and nets for greenhouses places farmers at risk of not being able to plant their crops during the main planting season during September-October, The livelihoods of an estimated 10,000 farming families, approximately 65,500 people, may be affected as a result.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tThe Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ’s proposal to the Government of Israel to resume reconstruction of housing, health, and education, awaits a final answer from the Israeli authorities. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ efforts to secure the entry of a number of armoured vehicles needed for Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ  operations in Gaza have been unsuccessful.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tIn August, no exports were allowed to exit Gaza. The last shipments of exports went out in April 2009 and consisted only of cut flowers.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tSlight increase in access of patients to specialized treatment outside Gaza<\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tDuring August 2009, the Referral Abroad Department (RAD) of the Palestinian Ministry of Health approved and issued a total of 858 referral documents for patients requiring specialized medical treatment unavailable in Gaza, a slight increase compared to the parallel figure in July (797). Approximately 35 percent of the patients were referred to hospitals in the West Bank (including East Jerusalem), 27 percent in Egypt, 13.5 percent in Israel, and three percent in Jordan. While the number of referrals to Israeli hospitals drastically decreased following the beginning of the “Cast Lead” military offensive in December 2008, since May 09 there has been a gradual increase. Also of note, referrals for treatment in the areas of cardiology, oncology, orthopaedics and ophthalmology represented 45-50 percent of the total referrals.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tDuring the month, the District Liaison Office (DCL) processed 856 applications for permits to leave Gaza through the Erez Crossing, including 221 applications for children under 16. Similar to the previous month, 70 percent of all applications were approved, one percent denied, and 29 percent (including 20 children under 16) delayed. A delayed application refers to the event where no reply is granted to a patient from the Israeli authorities by the date of planned travel, resulting in the loss of the pre-arranged appointment at the relevant hospital. When this occurs, the patient must seek a new appointment and subsequently submit an entirely new application for another permit, significantly prolonging the waiting period before he\/she can receive needed medical treatment. Over a third of patients with delayed applications (84) have been requested to undergo “an interview” by the Israeli Security Agency (ISA, previously GSS) as a condition for processing their applications. Moreover, following ISA’s instructions, three of the patients who were granted a permit were denied exit by the Israeli border authorities at the Erez Crossing for unclear reasons.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tIn August, WHO confirmed that a one-year-old girl referred to a hospital in the West Bank died while waiting to receive an appointment at the medical facility. Since the beginning of the year, WHO has recorded the death of 22 patients in similar circumstances.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tThe Rafah Crossing has been opened for patients for the period between 3 and 7 August. During these days an estimated number of 500 patients have crossed to Egypt, including many who obtained referral authorizations in July, during which the crossing remained entirely closed.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tDepletion of essential drugs<\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tThe number of drugs items out of stock at the Central Drug Store (CDS) in Gaza during August stood at 100 out of 480 items included in the essential drug list–up from 77 items in July and 72 in June. Although a number of shipments of drugs have arrived into Gaza from the Ministry of Health in Ramallah, the quantities and variety of items sent have been insufficient to address current shortages. Furthermore, many of the out-of-stock items in Gaza are also out of stock in the West Bank.  Without an immediate supply of some drug items, the CDS expects that in September the number of out-of-stock drugs will reach 140. Alongside the deterioration in the availability of drugs, this month there was a decrease in the number of disposable items out of stock, from 140 in July to 94 in August, out of a total of 700 in the essential disposable list.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tThere are significant challenges in the pharmaceutical sector. One issue is the high price of drugs, in some cases, up to eight times the going international price.  Other issues to be addressed include inadequate storage facilities, weaknesses in stock management, distribution and control and poor prescribing practice. While some of these have been addressed by WHO and Health Cluster partners, more needs to be done to establish an efficient pharmaceutical supply and management system. Meanwhile shortages of drugs and consumables continue to endanger the lives of the most vulnerable of Gaza’s population.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tOCHA report on the humanitarian impact of the blopckade<\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tThis month, OCHA released the report: Locked In: The humanitarian impact of two years of blockade on the Gaza Strip, which takes an in-depth look at the impact of the Israeli-imposed blockade on the 1.5 million residents of Gaza. The report highlights how the blockade has triggered a protracted human dignity crisis, with negative humanitarian consequences, including the degradation of living conditions caused by an erosion of livelihoods and a gradual decline in the quality of vital services in the areas of health, water and sanitation, and education.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t
\nThe blockade has taken place alongside recurrent cycles of violence and human rights violations, stemming from the Israeli- Palestinian conflict and Hamas’s rule over Gaza. The denial of Palestinians’ right to leave Gaza, or to move freely to the West Bank, particularly when their lives, physical integrity, or basic freedoms are under threat, is another key component of the current human dignity crisis. This denial had a devastating impact during Israel’s “Cast Lead” military offensive, launched on 27 December 2008, contributing to the significant loss of civilian life and the large number of seriously injured and traumatized people as a result. The three-week-long Israeli offensive also involved the widespread destruction of homes, infrastructure and productive assets.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tThe report ends by calling on the Government of Israel to remove the restrictions on Gaza’s borders; to allow free access to agricultural areas within Gaza, and to allow unrestricted fishing in Gaza’s territorial waters, as urgent first steps needed to start the reconstruction of homes and infrastructure, the revival of the economy and the restoration of human dignity in Gaza.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

\n\n\n\n
\n

Conclusion of 2009 Summer Games in Gaza<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

<\/p>\n

In August, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA completed its eight-week-long Summer Games programme, with more than 250,000 children participating in recreational activities including swimming, football, basketball, arts, crafts, and kite making. Participation during the final weeks continued to exceed registration numbers, with most programme locations at or beyond capacity.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Additionally in August, Summer Games was brought to 500 children in hospitals and orphanages who could not participate at the other 152 locations throughout the Gaza Strip. Special arrangements were made to entertain bedridden children, such as puppet shows, clowns, and the showing of cartoons. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA received official notification from the Guinness Book of World Records that the children of Gaza have broken the world record for the most kites flown simultaneously; 3,710 kites were in the air at the same time. The previous record was 967. All the kites were made by the children as part of their Summer Games activities.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

\n\t\t\t\tOPT-wide issues<\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tBack to school:  Hundreds of thousands of children<\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\taffected by shortage of facilities and equipment<\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tThe 2009-2010 school year began on 23 August in the Gaza Strip and on 1 September in the West Bank, amidst concerns stemming from the shortage of adequate educational space and materials.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tIn the Gaza Strip, Israel’s blockade continues to adversely affect children as a result of the shortage of building and educational materials. Eighteen schools destroyed during the “Cast Lead” operation have not been rebuilt, and at least 280 other schools with severe or minor damage could not be repaired, resulting in over-crowding of classrooms. In addition, as a result of prolonged delays in the clearance of some imports through the crossings controlled by Israel, the functioning of schools has been disrupted by an ongoing shortage of notebooks, textbooks, and other educational materials.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tA joint report issued by two Israeli NGOs (the Association for Civil Rights in Israel and Ir Amim) indicates that in East Jerusalem, at least 30,000 Palestinian children are forced to attend private schools and pay large sums as fees, due to the shortage of an estimated 1,000 classrooms in the public school system, which is run by the Jerusalem Municipality and the Israeli Ministry of Education. The report also estimates that over 5,000 Palestinian school-age children are not registered in any school at all. According to the Israeli media, the Jerusalem Municipality rejected the report’s findings, claiming that the gaps in the education system between east and west Jerusalem are slowly closing.<\/span>25<\/sup><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tIn Israeli-controlled Area C, there are at least ten schools (identified by OCHA) that were either prevented from expanding their facilities due to the lack of building permits issued by the Israeli Civil Administration (ICA), or forced to build without permits, and have subsequently been served stop-construction or demolition orders.  Many schools have resorted to using tents, tin shacks, rudimentary cement buildings, and other makeshift structures that offer little in the way of protection from the elements. Further, at least one school serving the Bedouin community of Jahalin, east of East Jerusalem, is slated for complete demolition. This school was built to accommodate approximately 100 students between the ages 4 and 7. The nearest school is located 13 km away in Jericho, and with no stops for public transportation close to the community, the commute is dangerous for unescorted children. According to a community representative, in the past two years, at least three children from this community have been killed in road accidents while walking on Road 1. Many remote communities without nearby educational facilities are forced to choose between housing their children with relatives in other areas or having their children drop out of school altogether.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tReport on abusive practice against Palestinian children<\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tThis month, the Israeli and Palestinian sections of Defence for Children International (DCI), made public a joint report submitted to the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC), in assistance of the CRC’s review of Israel’s official report, submitted under the Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict.<\/span>26 <\/sup><\/span> The DCI report, which covers the period from January 2005 to June 2009, provides documentation on cases where Israeli security forces used Palestinian children as human shields and informers, in violation of Article 2 of the Optional Protocol.<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tThe report documents five incidents that occurred in the West Bank and Gaza, where ten Palestinian children, as young as nine, were used as human shields, or coerced to assist Israeli soldiers in military operations, including during the recent “Cast Lead” operation in Gaza. Following complaints submitted to the Israeli Military Attorney by the Adalah human rights organization, the Israeli Military Police has launched criminal investigations and has begun collecting testimonies.<\/span>27 <\/sup><\/span> The report also documents six cases involving the use of coercive interrogation techniques by the Israeli Security Agency, in which children reported being asked to become informers.<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tConsolidated Appeals Process and Funding<\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tThe 2010 Consolidated Appeals Process (CAP) was initiated with four district-level workshops conducted across the occupied Palestinian territory, including the Gaza Strip, and was attended by approximately 400 members of the humanitarian community, including international and local NGOs, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ agencies, PA representatives and donors. The workshops focused on identifying the most pressing humanitarian needs in the oPt for the coming year.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tNine sectors will provide humanitarian assistance, with priority given to three sectors meeting basic needs: Water and Sanitation, Protection and Education. Common for all of these sectors is the need for access: access to water, access to land, access to education and health services. A two-day national level workshop was held in Ramallah beginning on 9 September 2009.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tFunding for the revised CAP 2009 stands at approximately 65 percent, with a total of USD 520 million of the USD 803 million requested already received. Gaza projects, including a few joint projects shared with the West Bank, have received a total of USD 400 million. The largest sector, food, approximately one-third of the CAP’s financial requirements, has now received USD 134.4 million of the USD 256.4 million requested. Economic recovery, coordination and support, and education and health sectors are all over 40 percent funded.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tDuring August one project for Action Against Hunger was funded through the Humanitarian Response Fund (HRF) at a total cost of USD 81,000.   The intervention targeted communities in the immediate vicinity of the Beit Lahia Waste Water Treatment Plant—to reduce health hazards of the malfunctioning plant and prevent seepage of effluent into the aquifer. The current HRF funding stands at USD 2.5 million, after receiving a new contribution of USD 1.4 million from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tAt the end of August, the HRF webpage was launched on the OCHA oPt website. The webpage contains information regarding HRF projects’ funding status, annual reports, guidelines, monitoring reports and applications.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n

<\/p><\/div>\n

\n

<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵITED NATIONS Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs occupied Palestinian territory ThEThE hUmTHE HUMANITARIAN MONITOR  August 2009 August Overview ISSUES COVERED THIS MONTH West Bank, including East Jerusalem: Downward trend in conflict-related injuries • Decrease in West Bank demolitions and resultant displacement • Palestinians evictions in East Jerusalem • Water scarcity response; access restrictions result […]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"country":[],"document-category":[1323],"document-source":[2169],"committee-meeting":[],"document-subject":[2517,1829,2033,2441,2005,2533,2013,2029,5200,1961,2297,2185,2309,1781,2273],"entity":[1729],"document-language":[6542],"class_list":["post-193181","document","type-document","status-publish","hentry","document-category-report","document-source-office-for-the-coordination-of-humanitarian-affairs-ocha","document-subject-access-and-movement","document-subject-casualties","document-subject-children","document-subject-education-and-culture","document-subject-gaza-strip","document-subject-health","document-subject-hebron","document-subject-house-demolitions","document-subject-humanitarian-relief","document-subject-jerusalem","document-subject-land","document-subject-legal-issues","document-subject-protection","document-subject-separation-barrier","document-subject-water","entity-united-nations-system","document-language-english"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document\/193181","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/document"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document\/193181\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=193181"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"country","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/country?post=193181"},{"taxonomy":"document-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-category?post=193181"},{"taxonomy":"document-source","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-source?post=193181"},{"taxonomy":"committee-meeting","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/committee-meeting?post=193181"},{"taxonomy":"document-subject","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-subject?post=193181"},{"taxonomy":"entity","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/entity?post=193181"},{"taxonomy":"document-language","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-language?post=193181"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}