OCHA – the UN’s Humanitarian Monitor: April 2009 report

The basic right of many Palestinians to human dignity continued to be undermined during April. Human dignity is a basic right and should not be contingent on political progress. As a first step towards reducing the assault on Palestinian human dignity, Israeli house demolitions in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, should be frozen and settler violence against Palestinians and their property should be brought to an end. In the Gaza Strip, the type of goods permitted to enter should be broadened and the quantities sharply increased; humanitarian operations should be allowed without inference; unimpeded access into Gaza for essential supplies and staff should be provided regardless of religious or national holidays. Access to medical care and other necessities should not be delayed or denied due to Palestinian factional disputes. In addition, to prevent further deterioration, the international community should increase the funding for humanitarian projects in the CAP, West Bank projects in particular.

This issue (downloadable here) includes:

West Bank, including East Jerusalem:
. Increase in Israeli military activities
. Israeli settler violence and related incidents on the rise
. Sharp increase in demolitions and resultant displacement
. OCHA releases Special Focus: The Planning Crisis in East Jerusalem: Understanding the Phenomenon of “Illegal” Construction
. Long delays continue at Qalandiya checkpoint
. Child Protection Concern: Number of child detainees remains high

The Gaza Strip:
. Significant decrease in Israeli-Palestinian violence
. Internal violence raises protection concerns
. The blockade continues: Fewer goods entered Gaza
. Movement in and out of Gaza remained banned
. Land and sea access restrictions undermine livelihoods
. Referral of patients abroad disrupted during most of the month
. Wastewater situation remains fragile
. Shelter: damages assessments complete; reconstruction prevented
. Rubble removal activities ongoing
. New requests by Hamas authorities to international NGOs
. UN report on needs in Gaza in the aftermath of “Cast Lead” launched
Other oPt issues:
.World Bank report: Development of the Palestinian water sector severely constrained
. Severe under-funding for West Bank projects; CAP Mid-Year Review initiated