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CERF allocates $4 million in response to humanitarian needs in the West Bank and Gaza

22 February 2011: In response to the protracted humanitarian situation arising from ongoing political stalemate, regular exposure to violence, restrictions on access and movement, and persistent human rights violations, CERF has allocated $4 million for humanitarian response in the West Bank and Gaza. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) will use $1 million for emergency response to critical WASH needs and to increase water availability and storage capacity in households. $900,000 has been allocated to the World Food Programme (WFP) for a Joint Bedouin Assistance Programme that will provide targeted food assistance to marginalised groups in the West Bank.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) will receive $900,000 for emergency food assistance. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) will use $800,000 for emergency support to protect livelihoods dependent on livestock. Finally, $400,000 has been allocated to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to provide access to maternal and child health services in Southern Gaza strip and the Jordan valley. Although there has been recent economic progress and reduced direct conflict-related casualties since January 2010, entrenched vulnerability still remains a reality throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory. In the West Bank, restrictions on movement and access remain pervasive, and much of the population is still unable to access essential supplies and services.

In the WASH sector, an estimated 2 million Palestinians still have poor or no access to safe water sources and/or sanitation systems. Over 90 per cent of water in Gaza has high levels of biological and chemical contamination, falling short of WHO standards.
 
The situation is particularly critical for pastoralists. Expansion of illegal settlements and displacement of Palestinian communities over the past decade, combined with drought, continue to negatively affect the livelihood of Bedouin and herding communities in the West Bank. Food insecurity is estimated to affect as much as 55 per cent of the population in the West Bank and 61 percent in Gaza. Restrictions on access and movement have also resulted in a decline of health services for these vulnerable populations, and the dramatic increase in the prevalence of chronic diseases, disabilities and mental illnesses over recent years is cause for concern.

Underfunded Emergencies