Mission Report, Palestine, January 2017

The humanitarian context of occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) is unique amongst today’s humanitarian crises and remains directly tied to the impact of Occupation, now in its 50th year. A protracted protection crisis continues with the need for protection measures for at least 1.8 million Palestinians experiencing, or at risk of, conflict and violence, displacement and denial of access to livelihoods, among other threats. This is further compounded by the need to ensure delivery of essential services, such as, water and health care for the most acutely vulnerable households, currently denied or restricted in access. Additionally, there is a need to support vulnerable households to better cope with the prolonged nature of the humanitarian crisis and the recurrent cycle of shocks, natural and manmade.

In Gaza, the ten-year long blockade and three major escalations of hostilities in six years which has devastated public infrastructure, coupled with significant power deficit disrupts the proper functioning of basic services, further exacerbating vulnerable living conditions amongst the population. Over 60,000 remain displaced with negative consequences for access to services and livelihoods. The rehabilitation of damaged health, education and WASH infrastructure has demonstrated a certain degree of progress, however, as of September 2016 only 1,300 out of the totally destroyed 11,000 housing units have been reconstructed, although work on an additional 3,200 is underway. Nearly 60,000 of the approximately 150,000 homes that suffered various degrees of damage have yet to receive assistance. An increase in restrictions in movements have also been cited in 2016, with a decline in the approval rate for medical cases, rejections for Gaza ID card holders with international organisations being denied permits to leave Gaza and the cancellation or non-renewal of Israeli-issued permits being cancelled for almost half of the Gaza business community. This is all further compounded by restrictions of Palestinians from Gaza, in addition to the closure of the Rafah passenger crossing in October 2014, which has left 1.8 million Palestinians unable to move in or out.

In the West Bank, Palestinians movements throughout certain areas remains restricted by physical and administrative measures, which undermines access to basic services. The expansion of settlements, which are deemed illegal under international law, has continued under a framework of impunity, with settlement expansion witnessing a 40 per cent increase in new housing units in the first six months of 2016.This coupled with restrictions on access to land and natural resources along with forced displacement continues to plague the population. Forced displacements are a result of a multitude of factors, including, destruction of homes and livelihoods, forced evictions and relocations plans, settler takeover of homes, lack of civil documentation and revocation of residency rights. In 2016, there was a sharp increase in the demolition of Palestinian-owned structures and displacement in Area C and East Jerusalem, where the restrictive and discriminatory planning regime imposed by the Israeli authorities prevents Palestinians from planning their communities and building homes and infrastructure. Palestinian Bedouin and herding communities across Area C, with a population estimated at 30,000, as well as, many Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem, are among those most at risk of forcible transfer, due to the coercive environment to which they are subjected1.

The aim of the mission was to provide technical support to evaluate funded actions with WASH and Shelter partners under the HIP 2016, along with update the WASH and Shelter strategy and operational framework in preparation of the launch of the HIP 2017.  This included a detailed briefing with the ECHO country team, highlighting updates of the humanitarian context and WASH and Shelter interventions in country to date.

OCHA (2017). Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO) for OPT