WUNRN
UN Publication 2010 on The Right to
Water:
Part II - How Does the Right to
Water Apply to Specific Groups - Includes Women, Children, the Rural &
Urban Poor, Persons with Disabilities, Refugees & Internally Displaced
Persons, Indigenous Peoples.
____________________________________________________________________
PALESTINE - RIGHTS TO WATER &
SANITATION - WOMEN & GIRLS
FAQ's
1- How much water
do Israelis and Palestinians consume?
2- What is the
reason for this discrepancy?
3- What are the
impacts of these policies?
4- Can
Palestinians treat their wastewater?
5- What other
obstacles to access to water and adequate sanitation do Palestinians face?
6- What are
Israel’s obligations?
7- How can we
change the situation?
8- What are we
asking for?
Thirsting
for Justice Campaign
The
Emergency Water Sanitation and Hygiene group (EWASH) in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory, a coalition of 30 leading humanitarian organizations is
launching, through its Advocacy Task Force (ATF), the Thirsting for Justice
Campaign[i] to
mobilise European citizens to demand that their governments pressure Israel to
change its policies and practices in order to comply with
international law and respect Palestinians’ human rights.
Frequently
Asked Questions (FAQ)
How
much water do Israelis and Palestinians consume? ↑
Average
Palestinian daily consumption of water is about 70 liters per person, well
below the 100 liters recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) to
cover domestic and public service needs. In contrast, the average Israeli daily
per capita consumption is about four times the Palestinian average (300 liters)[ii]. This is in
contrast to European levels where for example the average daily water
consumption in the UK is 149 liters per person while in France it is 287 liters
per person[iii].
What
is the reason for this discrepancy?↑
Israeli
policies and practices limit Palestinians’ access to the water they are
entitled to under international law. Israel controls all sources of freshwater
in the West Bank. Palestinians are only allowed, according to the Oslo Accords,
to take 20 percent of the "estimated potential" of the Mountain
Aquifer underneath the West Bank; Israel extracts the balance[iv]. As a result,
Palestinians in the West Bank are forced to purchase over half of their water
from Israel. Israel takes this water from the Mountain Aquifer over which
Palestinians have rights to an equitable share[v].
In
Gaza, 90 to 95 percent of the Coastal Aquifer, on which Gaza inhabitants are
dependent for water, is contaminated due to over extraction and sewage
contamination, making it unfit for human consumption. Palestinians in Gaza have
hardly any other sources of water available to them. The aquifer is depleted
and in danger of collapse[vi]. Restrictions
imposed by Israel as part of its ongoing blockade make the rehabilitation of
the aquifer and the search for alternatives extremely difficult. Palestinians
in Gaza are not allowed to access water from the Mountain Aquifer. Israel also
limits the entry of construction materials for construction, repair and
rehabilitation of infrastructure that would allow for improved water
management. Mass desalination of seawater as an alternative is too costly and
unsustainable within the current context given frequent electricity shortages
in Gaza associated with Israel’s blockade.
What
are the impacts of these policies? ↑
Water
shortages are common in the West Bank, especially during the summer months,
when Israel rations water to Palestinian communities. In contrast, Israeli
settlements in the West Bank have unrestricted access to water, well-watered
lawns and swimming pools. While Israelis also ration water, this is done as
part of sustainable government-led schemes.
In
Gaza, the majority of the population is forced to purchase water for drinking
and cooking from private vendors because water from the tap is of poor quality[vii]. This often
does not meet the minimum quality standards as set by the WHO and is expensive
for many households, especially in an environment where the economy has been
decimated due to Israeli military operations and the blockade.
Can
Palestinians treat their wastewater? ↑
Only
31 percent of Palestinians in the West Bank are linked to the sewage network,
with only one Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) in operation, due to Israel’s
refusal to grant the necessary permits or Israeli military security clearance
for the construction and operation of sanitation and wastewater treatment
facilities and networks. The approval process for the Salfit WWTP, funded by a
German development agency, has been held up by Israel since 1996 for example.
Due
to the Israeli-imposed blockade on Gaza, restrictions on import to the Gaza
Strip of materials and equipment necessary for development and repair of
infrastructure have led the water and sanitation situation to reach crisis
point[viii].
Poor maintenance and low capacity of the sewage treatment plants (as well as
restrictions on entry of fuel and electricity) has resulted in 60-80 millions
liters of untreated or partially treated sewage flowing daily into the
Mediterranean Sea and contaminating the underground aquifer.
What
other obstacles to access to water and adequate sanitation do Palestinians face?↑
In
the West Bank, the Israeli Civil Administration requires Palestinian
communities to apply for permits, (which are rarely granted), in 60 percent of
the West Bank (known as Area C) for any development projects such as
rehabilitation of wells and extension of networks. Communities often resort to
building without permits, given how difficult it is to secure a permit, risking
the issuance of demolition orders[ix]. The United
Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for the oPt Mr Maxwell Gaylard,
said: “It is difficult to understand the reasoning behind the destruction of
basic rain water collection systems, some of them very old, which serve
marginalized rural and herder Palestinian communities where water is already
scarce and where drought is an ever-present threat.” (February 2011)
In
Gaza, over 30 km of water networks and 11 wells operated by the water
authorities were damaged or destroyed by the Israeli military during Operation
Cast Lead. The UN Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza conflict (the Goldstone
report) deemed this destruction "deliberate and systematic".
What
are Israel’s obligations?↑
Israel
is the Occupying Power in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Under international
humanitarian law, an occupying power is responsible for the welfare of the
civilian population and must ensure that civilians are provided with or allowed
to secure the basics for survival including food, water, medical supplies and
shelter. Palestinians are guaranteed access to drinking water, water for
personal hygiene and sanitation under the Geneva Conventions[x].
Israel
ratified the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
(ICESCR) where the right to water is enshrined. In September 2010, the UN Human
Rights Council affirmed for the first time that the human right to water and
sanitation is legally binding[xi]. Israel
however is one of three countries that have not recognized both of these rights[xii]
How
can we change the situation? ↑
The
Thirsting for Justice Campaign aims to mobilise European citizens to demand
that their governments pressure Israel to change its policies and
practices in order to comply with international law and respect
Palestinians’ human rights. Close ties with Israel put European Union
Member States in a strong position to affect change. Furthermore, the European
Union has stated its commitment to Palestinian rights, including the right to
water and sanitation[xiii].
The
Thirsting for Justice Campaign works directly with communities in the West Bank
and Gaza so their voices can be heard and their stories known to the world.
What
are we asking for?↑
The
campaign will run until the end of 2012. We are asking for:
1
- Israel to respect Palestinian rights to water and sanitation
- In
particular, that Palestinians in the West Bank be granted access to and
control over their share of the aquifer so they can satisfy their water needs.
Since 1967, Israel has not allowed Palestinians to dig wells in the
Western Aquifer, the largest and most productive source of water in the
West Bank. The EU must call on Israel to lift restrictions and respect its
commitments by allowing Palestinians to have wells there.
- Palestinians
in Gaza be allowed to rehabilitate their aquifer and develop alternatives,
including access to their share of the Mountain aquifer in the West Bank
and the Jordan River.
2
- Palestinians to be allowed to develop infrastructure:
- Reconstruction
and maintenance materials to be allowed into Gaza without delay. It is
urgent that Palestinians are allowed to upgrade wastewater treatment
facilities to increase capacity and minimize the impact on public health.
- Construction
in Area C of the West Bank is allowed without delay, and demolitions stop
immediately. The permitting system ceases to impede small construction
such as connection to the water and sewage networks as well as
construction of Waste Water Treatment Plants.
3
– Greater accountability for violations of international law
- The
European Union and Member States demand compensation from Israel for
delayed or destroyed EU-funded projects. Israel will be requested to
compensate communities for projects obstructed and resources appropriated
in line with its obligations as the Occupying Power.
References:
[i] See
website: www.ewash.org
[ii]Amnesty International
(2009), Troubled Waters: Palestinians Denied Their Fair Share of Water,
http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/MDE15/027/2009/en/e9892ce4-7fba-469b-96b9-c1e1084c620c/mde150272009en.pdf
[iii] UNDP
(2006) Beyond Scarcity: power, poverty and the global water crisis
http://hdr.undp.org/en/reports/global/hdr2006/
[iv] World Bank
(2009), Assessment of Restrictions on Palestinian Water Sector Development,
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/MENAEXT/0,,contentMDK:22145826
~menuPK:247611~pagePK:2865106~piPK:2865128~theSitePK:256299,00.html
[v] Convention
on the Law of the Non-navigational Uses of International Watercourses (1997)
http://untreaty.un.org/ilc/texts/instruments/english/conventions/8_3_1997.pdf
[vi] UNEP
(2009) Environmental Assessment of the Gaza Strip following the escalation of
hostilities in December 2008 – January 2009,
http://unispal.un.org/pdfs/DEP_1190_GE.pdf
[vii]
Palestinian Hydrology Group, Unicef, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Household
Survey Gaza, April 2010,
http://www.ewash.org/files/library/FINAL_WASH_REPORT.pdf
[viii] COHRE (2008),
Hostage to Politics: the Impact of Sanctions and the Blockade on the Human
Right to Water and Sanitation in Gaza,
http://www.cohre.org/topics/water-and-sanitation
[ix] UN OCHA
(2009), Restricting Space: The Planning Regime Applied by Israel in Area C of
the West Bank,
http://www.ochaopt.org/documents/special_focus_area_c_demolitions_december_2009.pdf
[x] COHRE
(2008), Policies of Denial: Lack of Access to Water in the West Bank, http://www.cohre.org/topics/water-and-sanitation,
http://www.cohre.org/topics/water-and-sanitation
[xi] Amnesty
International (2010), UN Affirms the Right to Water and Sanitation as Legally
Binding: http://livewire.amnesty.org/2010/10/12/a-historic-step-as-un-affirms-the-right-to-water-and-sanitation-as-legally-binding/
(accessed on February 2011)
[xii]Document
– United Nations: Historic re-affirmation that rights to water and sanitation
are legally binding
http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/IOR40/018/2010/en/34b48900-9ee4-4659-8a63-9e887112e5f7/ior400182010en.html
[xiii] EU
Statement - United Nations Human Rights Council: Human rights situation in
Palestine and other occupied Arab territories (2010)
http://www.eu-un.europa.eu/articles/en/article_10329_en.htm