Occupied Palestinian Territories - Humanitarian Update, October 2009

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

OCTOBER OVERVIEW

October's events highlight the impact of access restrictions, including restrictions on the use of space, on the ability of Palestinians throughout large areas of the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) to meet their basic humanitarian needs.

In the Gaza Strip, while the number of referrals to medical treatment abroad approved by the Palestinian Ministry of Health in October was the highest since the beginning of the year (nearly 1,000), in practice, access to such treatment continues to be hindered by the extremely restrictive opening of the Erez and Rafah crossings by the Israeli and Egyptian authorities respectively. This month, two patients needing emergency care died while waiting to leave Gaza, one through Rafah and another through Erez, bringing the number of such cases to 25 in 2009. Over one quarter (25.5 percent) of all permit applications to leave Gaza through Israel were delayed this month by the Israeli authorities (249), and nearly three percent were rejected (28). When a permit is delayed, patients miss their appointment at the health facilities to which they had been referred, and must submit new applications after obtaining a new hospital appointment. The percentage of delayed applications during October, however, reflects a relative improvement compared to the parallel average since January 2008, which stood at 36 percent.

With winter fast approaching, restrictions on the import of construction materials are likely to worsen the already poor living conditions of families living in homes damaged during Israel's "Cast Lead" offensive. The rain-flooded streets of Gaza in the last days of October underscore the risks of winter storms, and highlight the precarious state of sewage and sanitation facilities, some of which may overflow and endanger lives and cause damage to surrounding property. While in the past few months the Israeli authorities have allowed the entry of limited supplies for water and sanitation repair and rehabilitation projects, including eleven truckloads during October, delays in the approval of additional supplies, as well as other difficulties in the coordination process, have significantly slowed down the implementation of these highly needed projects.

In the West Bank, the Israeli authorities continued to implement measures that ease Palestinian movement between most urban centers, including the removal of 13 earthmounds this month, mainly in the Hebron district. At the same time, the impact of restrictions on access to land and on the use of space and natural resources was apparent in October in a variety of situations. Indeed, following a six week lull, this month the Israeli authorities resumed the demolition of Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem, where Palestinians suffer from a severe housing crisis stemming from the restrictive planning regime applied by the Israeli authorities to Palestinian areas. A total of 31 people, including 13 children were displaced as a result of October demolitions. While no demolitions occurred in Area C for the third consecutive month, additional demolition orders to Palestinian communities were distributed.

By the end of the month, the 2009 olive harvest season had largely come to a close due to the extremely poor yield resulting from a combination of the natural cycle and unfavourable weather conditions; in some areas access restrictions imposed by Israeli measures, mainly the Barrier and the associated permit regime and settler related violence exacerbated the problem, despite some mitigating measures implemented by the Israeli authorities.

Access restrictions serve as a constant source of tensions and clashes. The two most prominent causes of injuries in the West Bank in October (nearly 90 percent) were related, in one way or another, to access issues. Half of the Palestinian injuries occurred during clashes in and around Al Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem. While the clashes were immediately triggered by attempts by Israelis to enter the Mosque compound, they were likely exacerbated by tensions over the recent prevention of the majority of the Palestinian Muslim population from accessing the Mosque during the month of Ramadan. In addition, nearly a third of this month's injuries resulted from clashes during the weekly demonstrations in protest of the isolation of agricultural land by the Barrier.

The lack of significant improvement in access, both in Gaza and in the West Bank undermines the ability of Palestinians to meet basic human needs such as protection, shelter, food, water, healthcare. The lifting of the blockade over Gaza, along with the freezing of demolitions and the revocation of the Barrier permit regime in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, are essential steps to improving the humanitarian situation and restoring dignity to many Palestinians.

ISSUES IN FOCUS

Concerns over reported abuse and mistreatment of anti-barrier activists
Following a complaint filed by the Israeli human rights organization, Yesh Din, the Israeli authorities arrested on 5 October an IDF soldier suspected of beating the Chairperson of the Bil'in committee against the Barrier during a night time military operation in mid-September in Bil'in village. According to Israeli media reports, the man was later hospitalised for injuries and the Israeli army imposed a gag order on information about the soldier or the investigation.

Also, in October, the Palestinian human rights organisation Addameer, reported that an Israeli military court had extended for the third time the detention of a Palestinian human rights and anti-Barrier activist, who was arrested on 22 September 2009 at Allenby Bridge Border Crossing upon return from an advocacy tour abroad. According to Addameer, which is providing legal representation, the activist has been subjected to abusive conditions of interrogation, including interrogation sessions of 10-15 hours, abusive language and threats against himself and family members. According to Addameer, on 8 November an Israeli military court extended the anti-Barrier activists detention for another 10 days and has imposed a ban on lawyer visits to the detainee.

Two patients die while waiting to exit Gaza
S.A., 59 years old, was suffering from acute myocardial infarction, and was referred to Egypt for treatment. On 15 February 2009 he underwent open heart surgery at Nasser Institute in Egypt. Two months later, his health further deteriorated, and he needed a pacemaker implant. On 11 August, the Palestinian-administered Referral Abroad Department (RAD) referred him for treatment abroad, as this procedure is unavailable in the Gaza Strip. As Rafah border is normally closed, opening only sporadically, the patient was unable to enter Egypt; the patient also repeatedly tried to change the referral to an Israeli hospital, but his request was denied by the RAD. The patient died on the 28 October 09.

T.A., 16 years old, was admitted to Shifa Hospital with cancer in the blood on the 8 October 2009. His physician diagnosed his case as critical, and emergency advanced treatment was urgently needed. It took three days to process his documents for urgent referral to Tel Hashomer Hospital in Israel. On 12 October, the patient died within half an hour of receiving a response.

Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

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