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Occupied Palestinian Territories - Humanitarian Update, October 2007
30 November 2007
Summary of monthly Humanitarian Monitor report produced by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
KEY ISSUES OVERVIEW
Update on continued closure of Gaza crossings
The quantity of commercial and humanitarian goods allowed into the Gaza Strip continues to decline. The amount of goods entering Gaza has decreased by 73% (not including aggregates) since before the mid-June closure of Karni crossing, from an average of 253 truckloads per day in April to an average of 74 in October. On 28 October, Israel officially announced the permanent closure of Sufa crossing which had been used as the principal temporary alternative crossing (accounting for 76% of the inflow of supplies into Gaza) since the closure of Karni. The only crossing point left open for humanitarian aid and commercial supplies is Kerem Shalom. While Karni had the capacity to process over 750 truckloads per day, Kerem Shalom currently has the capacity to process only approximately 50 truckloads per day. In addition, logistic and supply arrangements cost three times as much through Kerem Shalom as through Karni.
Death of two patients at Erez checkpoint, Gaza (WHO)
Two Palestinian patients died in October after their passage through Erez checkpoint was delayed.
- On 22 October, a 77-year-old patient with a stomach hemorrhage arrived at Erez in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) ambulance at 4:00pm. After being delayed for two hours, the patient was denied access. Coordination for passage was approved again on 23 October and the patient arrived at Erez at 10:00am. Aside from the usual 30 minutes needed for coordination at Erez to cross into Israel (transferral from a Palestinian ambulance to an Israeli ambulance), no additional delay was reported. However, according to the Palestinian Liaison Officer at the checkpoint, at 11am the patient's body was returned to the Palestinian side, after dying on the Israeli side of the checkpoint.
- On 18 October, a 21-year-old male cancer patient reached Erez at 4:00pm. The patient was being transported by an ICU ambulance and escorted by his father. The patient's entry to the Israeli side of the checkpoint was delayed for 2 ½ hours, after which, the Israeli side requested that the father cross before the patient and indicated that the patient must cross the checkpoint using a walker, rather than be transported by ambulance. After walking to the end of the tunnel that connects the Palestinian side to the Israeli side, the patient was denied passage. His father was arrested on the Israeli side and held for nine days. On 28 October, a second coordination for the patient was approved and the patient was admitted to an Israeli hospital. The patient died the same night at the hospital in Israel.
Israeli sanctions on Gaza
The Government of Israel began implementing part of a proposed series of economic sanctions on the Gaza Strip on 28 October. The decision to impose electricity sanctions was temporarily halted by the Attorney General pending further legal review. On 28 October, Israel began limiting fuel supplies entering Gaza. A 47% decrease in regular diesel and a 9% decrease in industrial gasoline were reported since the start of the sanctions. Diesel is used by ambulances and service vehicles, while industrial gas is needed for the Gaza Power Plant. Though the fuel sanctions are not heavily felt by Gazans yet, any sustained and prolonged reductions will have severe implications for the lives of the civilian population as power outages ensue.
Elective surgeries suspended at Shifa Hospital, Gaza
According to WHO, elective surgical operations in Shifa hospital were suspended on 21 October as a result of the lack of nitrous oxide gas required to conduct surgical interventions. Shortage of the gas was reported in other Ministry of Health (MoH) hospitals as well. As a result, other anesthetic drugs were used to perform emergency surgical operations. After the urgent intervention of WHO and OCHA with the Israeli authorities, the gas was transported through Kerem Shalom on 22 October and reached the Palestinian delivery focal point and was distributed to MoH hospitals on 23 October.
Deepening livestock crisis in the West Bank & Gaza Strip
FAO reports that Palestinian sheepherders in the West Bank and Gaza Strip are facing a major livelihood crisis. The cost of fodder and water has increased dramatically and continues to rise. A long dry season and overgrazed pastures, due to protracted Israeli land seizure and land use restrictions, further exacerbate the situation. The drastic increase in production costs is forcing many farmers to resort to distress sales of sheep, even reproductive female sheep, jeopardising the sustainability of the flock and forsaking the selective breeding they have conducted for generations.
Increasing food prices
From August-October, the price of wheat flour increased by 35% (29% in the Gaza Strip and 39% in the West Bank). During the same period, dairy products increased by 6% and fuel by 3%. The impact of high international prices coupled with the closure regime has seen increased prices are affecting almost all staple commodities, which significantly affects the purchasing power of the population and comes as Palestinian households are struggling with their own drop in income.
REGIONAL OVERVIEW
West Bank & East Jerusalem
Closure of 'Asira Ash Shamaliya checkpoint, Nablus - 'Asira Ash Shamaliya checkpoint was closed by the IDF in November 2006 to all Palestinians (except ambulances and humanitarian organisations), disconnecting nine villages to the north of Nablus (with an approximate population of 23,000) from services in Nablus city. On 26 October 2007, the IDF closed a gate north of the checkpoint, preventing all movement through the checkpoint, including ambulances evacuating critical cases. Prior to the closure of the checkpoint, the nearest hospital, Al Itiyhad, was only 5.5 km away from 'Asira Ash Shamaliya village, via the old 'Asira ash Shamaliya - Nablus road. Ambulances are now forced to make a 22km detour via narrow side roads through the Al Badhan area (northeast of Nablus).
Humanitarian access in the West Bank - Access restrictions in the West Bank continue to impede the ability of humanitarian agencies to access their beneficiaries and impact Palestinian commercial import and export trade. Examples of restricted access include: the IDF has recently required that national staff of UN agencies obtain permits to enter the closed area between the Barrier and the Green Line in the northern West Bank. This is contrary to internationally recognized rules for UN access. There have been an increasing number of incidents of delayed or denied access for humanitarian agencies, particularly at entry points to Jerusalem. The new Tarqumiya commercial crossing in the Hebron governorate opened on 28 October and goods now cross using the back-to-back system. Business people from Hebron are already reporting increased delays with imports and exports. Combined, these increasing restrictions harm the West Bank economy, leading to greater poverty, and decrease access for humanitarian organizations.
Gaza Strip
Cash availability in Gaza - The Israeli decision to declare Gaza a "hostile territory" has had repercussions on the monetary transfer process, and accordingly the availability of cash and the ability to invest. The Israeli government has formed a "ministerial committee" under the direct supervision of Prime Minister Olmert that will approve any money transferred into Gaza, based on details given about the use of the money. Two major Israeli banks have made the decision to cut ties with Palestinian banks in Gaza.
Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
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