Thirsting for Justice - Activist's Pack - English

7/31/2019 Thirsting for Justice - Activist's Pack - English

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Activists Guide

www.thirstingforjustice.org

Contents

FrequentlyAskedQuestions

CaseStudies

TakeAction!


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FrequentlyAskedQuestions(FAQ)

HowmuchwaterdoIsraelisandPalestiniansconsume?

Average Palestinian daily consumption o water is about 70 liters per person, well below the100 liters recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) to cover domestic and publicservice needs. In contrast, the average Israeli daily per capita consumption is about our times thePalestinian average (300 liters)2. This is in contrast to European levels where or example the averagedaily water consumption in the UK is 149 liters per person while in France it is 287 liters per person3.

Whatisthereasonforthisdiscrepancy?Israeli policies and practices limit Palestinians access to the water they are entitled to underinternational law. Israel controls all sources o resh water in the West Bank. Palestinians are onlyallowed, according to the Oslo Accords, to take 20 percent o the estimated potential o the

Mountain Aquier underneath the West Bank; Israel extracts the balance4

. As a result, Palestinians inthe West Bank are orced to purchase over hal o their water rom Israel. Israel takes this water romthe Mountain Aquier over which Palestinians have rights to an equitable share5.

In Gaza, 90 to 95 percent o the Coastal Aquier, on which Gaza inhabitants are dependent orwater, is contaminated due to over extraction and sewage contamination, making it unt orhuman consumption. Palestinians in Gaza have hardly any other sources o water available tothem. The aquier is depleted and in danger o collapse6. Restrictions imposed by Israel as parto its ongoing blockade make the rehabilitation o the aquier and the search or alternativesextremely dicult. Palestinians in Gaza are not allowed to access water rom the Mountain Aquier.Israel also limits the entry o construction materials or construction, repair and rehabilitation

o inrastructure that would allow or improved water management. Mass desalination o seawater as an alternative is too costly and unsustainable within the current context given requentelectricity shortages in Gaza associated with Israels blockade.

Whataretheimpactsofthesepolicies?Water shortages are common in the West Bank, especially during the summer months, whenIsrael rations water to Palestinian communities. In contrast, Israeli settlements in the West Bankhave unrestricted access to water, well-watered lawns and swimming pools. While Israelis alsoration water, this is done as part o sustainable government-led schemes.

In Gaza, the majority o the population is orced to purchase water or drinking and cooking rom

private vendors because water rom the tap is o poor quality

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. This oten does not meet the minimumquality standards as set by the WHO and is expensive or many households, especially in an environmentwhere the economy has been decimated due to Israeli military operations and the blockade.


ThirstingforJusticeCampaign

The Emergency Water Sanitation and Hygiene group (EWASH)in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, a coalition o 30 leadinghumanitarian organizations is launching, through its Advocacy

Task Force (ATF), the Thirsting or Justice Campaign1 tomobilise European citizens to demand that their governmentspressure Israel to change its behavior in order to comply withinternational law and respect Palestinians human rights.

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CanPalestinianstreattheirwastewater?Only 31 percent o Palestinians in the West Bank are linked to the sewage network, with only oneWaste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) in operation, due to Israels reusal to grant the necessarypermits or Israeli military security clearance or the construction and operation o sanitation andwastewater treatment acilities and networks. The approval process or the Salt WWTP, unded

by a German development agency, has been held up by Israel since 1996 or example.Due to the Israeli-imposed blockade on Gaza, restrictions on import to the Gaza Strip o materialsand equipment necessary or development and repair o inrastructure have led the water andsanitation situation to reach crisis point8. Poor maintenance and low capacity o the sewagetreatment plants (as well as restrictions on entry o uel and electricity) has resulted in 60 - 80millions liters o untreated or partially treated sewage fowing daily into the Mediterranean Seaand contaminating the underground aquier.

Whatotherobstacles toaccesstowaterandadequatesanitationdoPalestiniansface?

In the West Bank, the Israeli Civil Administration requires Palestinian communities to apply or permits,(which are rarely granted), in 60 percent o the West Bank (known as Area C) or any developmentprojects such as rehabilitation o wells and extension o networks. Communities oten resort tobuilding without permits, given how difcult it is to secure a permit, risking the issuance o demolitionorders9. The United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator or the oPt Mr Maxwell Gaylard,said: It is difcult to understand the reasoning behind the destruction o basic rain water collectionsystems, some o them very old, which serve marginalized rural and herder Palestinian communitieswhere water is already scarce and where drought is an ever-present threat. (February 2011)

In Gaza, over 30 km o water networks and 11 wells operated by the water authorities weredamaged or destroyed by the Israeli military during Operation Cast Lead. The UN Fact Finding

Mission on the Gaza confict (the Goldstone report) deemed this destruction deliberate andsystematic.

WhatareIsraelsobligations?Israel is the Occupying Power in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Under internationalhumanitarian law, an occupying power is responsible or the welare o the civilian population andmust ensure that civilians are provided with or allowed to secure the basics or survival includingood, water, medical supplies and shelter. Palestinians are guaranteed access to drinking water,water or personal hygiene and sanitation under the Geneva Conventions10.

Israel ratied 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 armed orthe rst time that the human right to water and sanitation is legally binding11. Israel however isone o three countries that have not recognized both o these rights12.

Howcanwechangethesituation?The Thirsting or Justice Campaign aims to mobilise European citizens to demand that theirgovernments pressure Israel to change its behavior in order to comply with international law andrespect Palestinians human rights. Close ties with Israel put European Union Member States ina strong position to aect change. Furthermore, the European Union has stated its commitmentto Palestinian rights, including the right to water and sanitation13.

The Thirsting or Justice Campaign works directly with communities in the West Bank and Gazaso their voices can be heard and their stories known to the world.

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Whatareweaskingfor?The campaign will run until the end o 2012. We are asking or:

1. Israel to respect Palestinian rights to water and sanitation

In particular, that Palestinians in the West Bank be granted access to and control overtheir share o the aquier so they can satisy their water needs. Since 1967, Israel has notallowed Palestinians to dig wells in the Western Aquier, the largest and most productivesource o water in the West Bank. The EU must call on Israel to lit restrictions and respectits commitments by allowing Palestinians to have wells there.

Palestinians in Gaza be allowed to rehabilitate their aquier and develop alternatives,including access to their share o the Mountain aquier in the West Bank and the JordanRiver.

2. Palestinians to be allowed to develop inrastructure:

Reconstruction and maintenance materials to be allowed into Gaza without delay. It isurgent that Palestinians are allowed to upgrade wastewater treatment acilities to increasecapacity and minimize the impact on public health.

Construction in Area C o the West Bank is allowed without delay, and demolitions stopimmediately. The permitting system impedes small construction such as connection to thewater and sewage networks as well as construction o Waste Water Treatment Plants.

3. Greater accountability or violations o international law

The European Union and Member States demand compensation rom Israel or delayedor destroyed EU-unded projects. Israel will be requested to compensate communitiesor projects obstructed and resources appropriated in line with its obligations as theOccupying Power.

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CASESTUDIES

THEGAZASTRIP

Wadi(valley)Gaza

THEWESTBANK

NabiSaleh

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Meet:ThegravelcollectorsinWadiGaza

There are ew jobs available in the Gaza Stripdue to restrictions on economic developmentassociated with Israels blockade, andunemployment stands at 45 percent14.However, due to the inability o residents topurchase aggregate or construction, gravelcollection is one employment opportunity inWadi Gaza. The gravel collectors sit throughthe polluted waters collecting and sortingdierent sized stones. They may even standin the dirty wadi waters risking their health.They are prone to water related illnesses. Itis not a well paid job but given the lack oalternatives many have no choice. Children

requently collect stones being paid as little as 10 NIS (3 US$) or a ull cart o stones that takesa day to collect.

Meet:OmarAt-Tawilandhisfamily

Omar At-Tawil, 40, lives close to Wadi Gazain Al-Mughraqa village. He is married withve children. Omar and his amily havebeen suering rom the nasty odour o theuntreated sewage fooding the Wadi sincehe moved to Al-Mughraqa 15 years ago.Omar says

I feel very embarrassed when my friendsvisit me because of the odious smellcoming from the wadi and the insectswhich increase during the night myvisitors cannot stay for long.

Omar's amily uses anti-mosquito creamsand keep the light on to keep mosquitoes o. One day, one o Omar's daughters went to playwith her riends in the Wadi (the only open space close to the house), the next day Omar hadto take her to hospital as she had ever and diarrhoea. Omar cannot keep an eye on his childrenall the time and cannot prevent them rom going out. Omar's wie suers rom asthma and thepoor air quality as a result o the polluted wadi is bad or her health, oten triggering asthmaattacks. Omar would like to move somewhere else, but he cannot aord to due to the high rentthe amily would have to pay. Omar says

I hope to wake up one day and find thesewage in Wadi Gaza has disappeared .

THEGAZASTRIPWadi(valley)Gaza

Hamza (age 14) collecting stones in Wadi Gaza

Omar At-Tawil and his amily

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THEWESTBANK

NabiSaleh

Nabi Saleh is a village 12 kilometres rom Jerusalem which has 668 residents. Most o the villagehas been designated Area C, and thus orms part o the 60% o the West Bank which is underull Israeli military control. The Israeli settlement o Halamish, established in 1977, is just metersaway. Villagers access an average o 33 litres per person per day o water. However, suppliesthrough the water network can vary with the village sometimes not receiving sucient water oreveryday use due to Israeli restrictions on allocation o water to the municipal supplier. The villageormerly relied on several springs in the surrounding area to complement the limited networksupply. However, the Israeli military and Israeli settler populations living nearby requently preventthe residents o Nabi Saleh rom utilising these spring resources.

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Meet:ManalTamimi,amemberofthewomensgreenhousecooperative

The greenhouse cooperative was set upby four women who were keen to providefresh fruit and vegetables for their familiesand earn some extra money to supportthem. The cooperative relied on waterfrom the Ein Al Qaws spring. One of themembers of the group says of their produce

It was just a little but it was worth it.Manal Tamimi, a cooperative member saysWe grew things and it was successful andthe best thing is that it was nutritious, wedidnt use chemicals on our produce.

The plastic roo o the greenhouse has rips

and holes caused by teargas canisters shot by the Israeli army who regularly enter the village toarrest activists who protest the presence o the Israeli army on their land. Last January, the Israeliarmy prevented the cooperative rom accessing the spring or the beneft o the settlers. Now thegreenhouse is dry and the cooperative struggles to grow vegetables. They are trying to set up arainall collection system to irrigate the crops in the greenhouse but this will only allow them togrow part o the crops. They would still need access to the spring to meet their needs.

Meet:UmHelmi

Um Helmi lives in the centre o Nabi Saleh.She has 4 sons and 2 daughters and isworried about having enough water she says

we havent received water for a monthbecause of the low quantities comingthrough the network so we are forcedto buy tankered water [from trucks] butthey are expensive.

When it is like this we have to ration whatwe use and I have to take money away from

other things like my childrens educationand healthcare to afford the water.

Um Helmi built a rainwater harvesting system and a new cistern to try and ensure she hassucient quantities or her amily. She says

my son is getting married soon and he will move innext door with his new wife. We will share our cistern

and rainwater with them but I know that there willnot be enough for us all. This situation is unfair. We

see that the nearby settlement is green and hasgrass growing all year and we feel pain that we are

being robbed of water. All we want is justice

THEWESTBANKNabiSaleh

Um Helmi

Manal Tamimi

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Join the Thirsting for Justice Campaign


For the launch of our campaign, we invite you to join Palestinians in the West Bankand Gaza on a photo petition:

1. Write a banner with a message in support o Palestinian rightsto water and sanitation including the name o our campaignThirsting for Justice

2. Take a photo holding the banner. Email your photo as anattachment to [email protected]. Make sure you

include your name and city.

3. We'll post your photo on our site and use it to show electedleaders that their constituents want urgent action in supporto Palestinian rights.

OtherwaystoparticipateLogonto:www.thirstingforjustice.org

1. Become a an o Thirsting or Justice on Facebook

2. Demand the European Union to take action by signing our web petition

3. Twin your school or town with communities in the West Bank and Gaza campaigningwith us. Check our website or details.

4. Spread the word:

Organize a talk. We can provide you with a presentation pack or arrange or speakersin your local area.

Screen our documentary lms.

Become a Thirsting or Justice Ambassador. Check the website or instructions.

5. Check our website or regular updates, news and campaign actions!

Thirsting forJustice

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1. See website: www.ewash.org

2. Amnesty International (2009), Troubled Waters: Palestinians Denied Their Fair Share o Water,http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/MDE152009/027//en/e9892ce47-ba-469b-96b9-c1e1084c620c/mde150272009en.pd

3. UNDP (2006) Beyond Scarcity: power, poverty and the global water crisis http://hdr.undp.org/en/reports/global/hdr2006/

4. World Bank (2009), Assessment o 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

5. Convention on the Law o the Non-navigational Uses o International Watercourses (1997)http://untreaty.un.org/ilc/texts/instruments/english/conventions/8_3_1997.pd

6. UNEP (2009) Environmental Assessment o the Gaza Strip ollowing the escalation o hostilities in December2008 January 2009, http://unispal.un.org/pds/DEP_1190_GE.pd

7. Palestinian Hydrology Group, Unice, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Household Survey Gaza, April 2010,http://www.ewash.org/les/library/FINAL_WASH_REPORT.pd

8. COHRE (2008), Hostage to Politics: the Impact o Sanctions and the Blockade on the Human Right to Water andSanitation in Gaza, http://www.cohre.org/topics/water-and-sanitation

9. UN OCHA (2009), Restricting Space: The Planning Regime Applied by Israel in Area C o the West Bank, http://www.ochaopt.org/documents/special_ocus_area_c_demolitions_december_2009.pd

10. COHRE (2008), Policies o Denial: Lack o Access to Water in the West Bank, http://www.cohre.org/topics/water-and-sanitation, http://www.cohre.org/topics/water-and-sanitation

11. Amnesty International (2010), UN Arms the Right to Water and Sanitation as Legally Binding: http://livewire.amnesty.org/201012/10//a-historic-step-as-un-arms-the-right-to-water-and-sanitation-as-legally-binding(accessed on February 2011)

12. Document United Nations: Historic re-armation that rights to water and sanitation are legally bindinghttp://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/IOR402010/018//en/34b489009-ee48-4659-a639-e887112e57/ior400182010en.html (accessed on February 2011)

13. EU Statement - United Nations Human Rights Council: Human rights situation in Palestine and other occupiedArab territories (2010) http://www.eu-un.europa.eu/articles/en/article_10329_en.htm

14. Humanitarian crisis in Gaza dire as unemployment rises, warns UN agency, http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=37506&Cr=palestin&Cr1=

GLOSSARY

SewageWastewater comprising human aeces and urine is oten discharged raw or partially treated in manyparts o the West Bank and the Gaza Strip as Israel hinders construction o wastewater treatment plants.

Cesspit

Many households in the West Bank and Gaza Strip use these holding pits as there are limited householdconnections to sewage inrastructure. This is the case in Wadi Gaza. However, cesspits must be emptied

which is costly and many households are unable to aord to empty pits regularly. The pits do not treatsewage and so the contents harm the environment i emptied directly into it as in Wadi Gaza.

Septic tankSome households have septic tanks to treat household sewage. These requently unction poorly inThe Gaza Strip polluting groundwater sources.

Endnotes



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www.ewash.org

[email protected]

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