UNRWA Headquarters Gaza, Department of External Relations Telephone: + 972 8 677 7720 Fax: + 972 8 677 7698 email: [email protected] website: www.unrwa.org

UNRWA Emergency Appeal 2005

Progress Report

A refugee woman waiting to receive services on one of the UNRWA installations 28

Twenty-eighth progress report - July - September 2005

UNRWA Emergency Appeal Twenty Eighth Progress Report: July to September 2005 Page 1 Emergency Appeal 2005

Background

The reporting period was dominated by the Israeli disengagement from Gaza, as well as four small settlements of , Kadim, and Sa-Nur in the northern . Following several months of uncertainty and protests by anti- disengagement activists, and despite some minor incidents, the evacuation proceeded smoothly, facilitated by a joint Israeli-Palestinian security operation room and the deployment of PA forces around the settlement areas during the withdrawal.

Commencing midnight on Sunday 14 August, the evacuation of the 21 settlements in the Gaza Strip was completed within two weeks. The Israeli army then began the task of demolishing housing in the settlements. The departure of army units and accompanying infrastructure was completed by 12th September. PA security forces progressively moved into settlement areas, followed closely by large crowds of civilians.

Overall, the disengagement process went calmly and concluded well in advance of projected timescales, in spite of large demonstrations by those Israelis opposed to the withdrawal. Fearing an extended period of disruption and closure, UNRWA had participated with sister agencies in developing detailed contingency planning to maintain its operations in both the Gaza Strip and the Northern West Bank. In the Gaza Strip, UNRWA had pre-positioned food, medical supplies, fuel and spare-parts at warehouses in the north, middle area, Khan-Younis and Rafah. Close liaison with the Israeli army in the run up to disengagement facilitated preparations greatly.

Extended periods of closure of the Gaza Strip were in force for much of the period. Aside from internal movement restrictions, Erez crossing was closed from 13 to 30 July for all Palestinians, as part of a general closure imposed on the oPt in the aftermath of a Palestinian suicide bombing in Netanya on 12 July which killed four Israelis. From 13 August to 24 September, the crossing was restricted for Palestinians to allow the movement of Israeli settler and IDF units. Only a limited number of workers and merchants, and some humanitarian cases, were allowed access during this period. From 24 September to the end of the reporting period, Erez was again closed for all Palestinian workers and traders following Palestinian militant rocket attacks which had injured six Israelis. A limited number of humanitarian cases were allowed access with prior coordination.

The security situation inside the Gaza Strip worsened markedly as the main Palestinian factions sought to assert their control in preparation for the period after the disengagement and Palestinian Legislative Council elections announced for early 2006. More worrying was the increase in intra-factional and family disputes resulting in armed clashes. A particularly unwelcome development was the increased number of abductions of internationals staff from UN agencies and NGOs for use as leverage in disputes with the Palestinian Authority and others. In one particularly worrying incident involving UNRWA international staff, gunfire was exchanged between kidnappers and PA security forces. By mid August, the number of abductions, and the overall deterioration of the security situation, had reached a critical point. In

UNRWA Emergency Appeal Twenty Eighth Progress Report: July to September 2005 Page 2

consequence, UN Headquarters again declared the Gaza Strip to be under Phase Four of its security classification, requiring the relocation of all staff not critical to the delivery of humanitarian operations. As a result, UNRWA relocated 41 international staff members from its Gaza Headquarters to the West Bank Field Office and Amman Headquarters.

In the West Bank, Israeli search and arrest operations continued. In consequence, tension was high throughout the quarter. On 7 September, the Israeli army announced that it had opened an investigation into the killing of five Palestinians on 24 August in the Tulkarem Refugee Camp, and issued an apology for the loss of civilian life. The army had originally claimed the killings were of armed Islamic Jihad activists, but later admitted to the deaths of unarmed men including three teenagers.

There were some signs of an easing of internal closure in the West Bank. According to OCHA figures dated 1st August 2005, 376 closure obstacles were recorded in the West Bank - a decline of 37 percent compared with February this year1. This decline signals a significant improvement, particularly in access for villagers to nearby towns. Nevertheless, movement between the southern, middle and northern West Bank remains problematic2. Physical obstacles placed in strategically important locations – for example, near settlements, at junctions between Palestinian roads and Israeli bypass roads and at the entrances to towns – remain in place.3

Construction of the separation barrier continued apace. On 15 September, the Israeli High Court of Justice ratified the completion of the barrier, but also ruled that parts of it should be dismantled in the Qalqilya area, so as not to isolate five Palestinian villages from one another and from their agricultural land. The court also ratified the annexation of the Alfei Menashe settlement in the northern West Bank to .

According to a report issued in August by John Dugard, Special Rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) of the UN’s Commission on Human Rights, major human rights violations continued to take place. The report said that despite Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza, the barrier and settlement expansion were violations of basic human rights resulting from the continued Israeli occupation. The report also spoke of the ill-treatment of prisoners in Israeli jails, movement restrictions and other violations of basic human rights involving lack of access to health, education and water services.

1 OCHA caveats this figure by noting that this does not equate to a 37% improvement in access. 2 The emerging pattern of closures indicates a more solid west-east ‘line’ at two points in the West Bank, which effectively trisect the West Bank. Tighter restrictions appear to be associated with crossing these ‘lines’ (OCHA, Humanitarian Update, August 2005) 3 Further, some checkpoints and crossings through the barrier have clearly been upgraded, suggesting a more permanent presence.

UNRWA Emergency Appeal Twenty Eighth Progress Report: July to September 2005 Page 3 Emergency Employment Creation

Objective: Contain and mitigate the socio-economic crisis facing the refugee population through temporary job creation using both direct hire (where UNRWA both funds and directs the programme of work) and indirect hire (where UNRWA funds and supervises activities implemented through community organisations). a. Direct Hire

UNRWA offers temporary employment in a wide range of professional, technical, support and unskilled positions in connection with its regular and emergency programmes, including teachers in its schools, medical professionals in its health centres, engineers on project sites, and administrative and clerical workers in its field offices and headquarters. Note that the maintenance of UNRWA's service levels and infrastructure is a side benefit of the temporary job creation programme.

Given the levels of unemployment in the local market and the heavy demand for this programme, the programme is massively oversubscribed in both Gaza and the West Bank. Contracts are offered according to the following criteria:

• Refugee status (except in cases were a local resident is married to a refugee); • Family size; • Applicant should not be employed by UNRWA or the PA; • Applicant should not be a relative of an UNRWA staff member or another JCP contractor hired at the same time (under the same refugee family registration card).

UNRWA Emergency Appeal Twenty Eighth Progress Report: July to September 2005 Page 4 • Should not be in receipt of another form of UNRWA’s regular humanitarian assistance, i.e. Special Hardship Case Programme • Place of residence • Gender (women are given preferential treatment for certain jobs)

By the end of September 2005, UNRWA had received pledges for $92.3 million, or 49.7% out the $185.8 million requirements set out in the Emergency Appeal for 2005. Of the sum pledged, $32.6 million was earmarked for housing reconstruction in Gaza, leaving only $59.7 million to deliver the large scale programme of emergency support required by poor and vulnerable Palestine refugees in the oPt.

Whilst recognising the need for transitional programmes of assistance, it is particularly important during this sensitive period that humanitarian assistance should not be neglected. Basic needs of the population must continue to be met.

In the case of skilled candidates, qualifications are also taken into account. The Agency’s social workers ensure that candidates for the programme meet these criteria.

Between July and September, UNRWA offered 8,778 temporary employment contracts: 1,967 in the West Bank and 6,811 in the Gaza Strip. These contracts typically ran for up to three months but in the case of professional posts, where incumbents are required to be familiar with UNRWA's procedures and where continuity is desirable, contracts may be for longer periods. In exceptional cases of hardship, petitions are considered to extend JCP positions or transfer workers on to further placements. Eligibility is determined by the Agency’s social workers.

Collectively, these temporary employees worked 612,116 days of which 498,871 were provided by Gaza Field and 113,245 by West Bank Field. Those who participated in the programme supported a total of 65,093 dependents, 51,414 in Gaza and 13,679 in the West Bank. Through focus group meetings conducted during the summer of 2005, UNRWA is aware that in addition to providing short term relief from hardship, the programme enhances the self-esteem of participants.

Since UNRWA launched its emergency programme in late 2000, over 6.4 million work days have been generated through the Direct Hire Programme. In total 93,771 people have participated. Through this programme, beneficiaries are able to enjoy a temporary respite from poverty; to address debts; pay utility bills and purchase clothing and school supplies.

UNRWA Emergency Appeal Twenty Eighth Progress Report: July to September 2005 Page 5 b. Indirect Hire

A total of 29,566 work days were generated through UNRWA’s indirect hire projects under the Emergency Appeal in the third quarter of the year. In total, the West Bank Field Office generated 15,907 work days through construction projects and 14,807 work days through community projects implemented through Camp Committees. In the Gaza Strip, 13,569 work days were generated through community infrastructure projects.

In the planning of emergency activities for 2005, it had been decided to discontinue the previous practice of using large construction projects as a primary means to generate work days. The remaining portfolio of construction projects under this heading has been diminishing as the year has progressed. The last such project to be completed, the construction of six additional classrooms and four specialised rooms at Ghor El Far’a (Jiftlik) Co-Ed School in the West Bank will be handed over to the Department of Education on 27 December.

In place of these larger projects, the focus under direct hire has been on smaller scale, more labor intensive work within camp boundaries. In the West Bank the following works have provided 14,807 work days to 1,108 labourers:

• 26,468 m2 of pathways have been paved; • 2,894 m2 of drains laid; • 1,843 m of retaining walls have been constructed; and • cleaning up of non-garbage waste has been implemented in 16 West Bank refugee camps (2,228 job days).

In the Gaza Strip, indirect hire funded 13,659 job days through the following activities:

• Repair of damaged roads in Tal El-Sultan, Rafah • Pavement of roads and alleys in Jabalia, Nuseirat, Bureij, Maghazi, Khan Younis, and Rafah Camps • Supplying and installation of an electrical transformer in Khan Younis Camp

UNRWA Emergency Appeal Twenty Eighth Progress Report: July to September 2005 Page 6 Emergency Food Aid

Objective: To combat malnutrition and micro-nutrient deficiencies and counteract the problems of physical and economic access to food by providing food security nets comprising a basket of six basic commodities that are not produced or are not available locally at an affordable cost. An indirect benefit of the Programme is that it frees up scarce household funds for other essential needs including fresh food and the payment of utility bills.

UNRWA provides emergency food aid to households in the oPt, supplying staple commodities that contribute to nutritional security, including flour, rice, lentils, sugar and oil. The provision of these goods does not affect either the local market or local farm production.

During the reporting period, a total of 197,190 families received food parcels (132,104 in the Gaza Strip and in 65,086 the West Bank), benefiting over 927,000 individuals. A total of 27,519 tons of food were distributed. In the West Bank, UNRWA coordinated with an NGO, Children International, to distribute an additional 67 food parcels to families in areas in the Nablus area.

UNRWA has now distributed more than 5.1 million food parcels since emergency operations began in late 2000. These have played an important part in stemming malnutrition and serious distress, including acute hunger, resulting from the Israeli closure policy.

UNRWA Emergency Appeal Twenty Eighth Progress Report: July to September 2005 Page 7 Emergency Relief and Social Assistance

Objective: To enable the most vulnerable families, unable to take advantage of employment programmes, to meet urgent household expenses or meet pressing social needs.

a. Cash and in-kind assistance

Selective cash assistance on a small scale is provided to households in crisis, as a result, for example of the death or injury of a principal breadwinner or the destruction of their home. Grants enable families to buy basic items such as food or meet urgent utility bills or school expenses.

UNRWA's cash assistance programme benefited 7,908 families (4,252 in the West Bank and 3,656 families in the Gaza Strip or 47,826 individuals in total) between July and September. Most of these grants were given to households with particular needs that had not had any regular source of income for many months. Cash assistance was also provided in the form of rental subsidies to families awaiting rehousing following the demolition of their homes by the Israeli army.

UNRWA provides in-kind assistance to families who have lost their homes or have otherwise been forced to relocate as a result of military activity. As a consequence of isolated incidents of forced relocations, during the reporting period a total of 26 families benefited from in-kind assistance in the form of household goods, such as tents, blankets and kitchen kits (24 in the West Bank and two in the Gaza Strip). The decline in the level of this sub- programme reflects the sharp decrease in forced relocations during 2005.

b. Post-Injury Physical and Social Needs Assistance

UNRWA provides physiotherapy and home visits for those refugees injured during the conflict. The Agency also covers the cost of prosthetics and home adaptations for those who have incurred emergency-related injuries.

A total of 390 home visits were made between July and September. During this period, the Agency provided funds for 38 prosthetic devices to refugees suffering from intifada-related incidents in the West Bank. Also in the West Bank, home adaptations were undertaken on eight houses to accommodate the needs of people with disabilities caused as a result of the intifada. Occupational therapists worked with 120 disabled persons to allow them to look after their daily needs unassisted. In the Gaza Strip, the Agency assisted 107 cases for post-injury care, of whom 21 received counselling and a further 38 received cash assistance payments.

UNRWA Emergency Appeal Twenty Eighth Progress Report: July to September 2005 Page 8 Emergency Shelter-Repair and Reconstruction

Objective: Meeting the housing needs of families made homeless and repairing damage caused to shelters, community infrastructure and UNRWA installations.

UNRWA provides assistance to families made homeless by repairing or rebuilding shelters. In most cases, construction works are undertaken by contracting companies under the supervision of the Agency's Field Engineering and Construction Service. In some cases, UNRWA assists homeless families with cash grants paid in instalments, and the families carry out the work on a self-help basis with technical advice and supervision provided by the Agency's engineers.

Consistent with the previous two quarters, no refugee shelters in Gaza were reported as either demolished or significantly damaged. Likewise in the West Bank, home demolitions were not a significant factor during the reporting period with only two shelters in Qabatia and al-Yamoun Village reported as being destroyed.

Re-housing and Repair in Gaza

Work progressed during the quarter on three rehousing projects in Gaza as follows:

• 26 Dwelling Units in Rafah, Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah (62% completed, due to be handed over in November); • 6 Dwelling Units in the Middle area (40% completed due to be handed over in November); and • 105 Dwelling Units in Khan Younis Rehousing Project Phase 4 (70% completed, due to be handed over in December).

Collectively, these rehousing projects contributed 23,428 job days during the reporting period.

Re-Housing and Repair in the West Bank

No emergency shelter repairs were undertaken in the West Bank during the period.

UNRWA Emergency Appeal Twenty Eighth Progress Report: July to September 2005 Page 9 Health

Objective: Meet the additional burden on the healthcare system by meeting increased demand and facilitate access to health services in locations affected by closures and the separation barrier in the West Bank4.

Israel’s policy of closure in the West Bank and the associated complex systems of road blocks and permits has resulted in serious access restrictions for Palestinians to healthcare facilities. The Agency’s response has been to operate five mobile health clinics to serve areas closed by the Israeli authorities and more remote villages.

During the quarter, the mobile health teams were able to conduct 342 visits to isolated communities serving 35,607 patients of different age groups in the process.

Included in the figures provided above under the Direct Hire Programme, the West Bank Field Office hired a total of 512 staff for the Health Programme on a temporary basis. They collectively worked 36,333 days as medical officers, dental hygienists, dentists, staff nurses, and technical staff, as well as cleaners.

West Bank Field continued to provide physiotherapy services for refugees. Patient assessments are based on home visits, partly to ensure that patients’ family members are involved and able to assist with exercises and other forms of treatment. Those who were assessed as totally incapacitated received home visits on a regular basis. A total of 1,464 home visits were carried out during the third quarter. Where possible, patients were asked to report to the physiotherapy centres to receive necessary care; 255 patients were seen in this way for a total of 3,652 treatment sessions.

4 This programme does not run in the Gaza Strip due to its smaller geographical size and the concentration of camp-based refugees who are able to access services in camps.

UNRWA Emergency Appeal Twenty Eighth Progress Report: July to September 2005 Page 10 Operational Support Officer Programme

The OSO programme continued to provide direct support to UNRWA operations inside closed areas and in areas close to Israeli army installations. In preparation for the disengagement, the OSO programme facilitated access for the food supplies which the Agency had pre-positioned for the Palestinian enclaves behind Israeli lines. It also facilitated access for UNRWA’s social workers to visit Palestinian families who were confined by movement restrictions during the Israeli withdrawal.

The programme maintained close liaison with the Israeli army throughout its disengagement from Gaza; they were able to raise a number of issues directly related to protection of refugees. During the operation, OSOs facilitated the movement of supplies and staff. By being able to cross closed internal checkpoints, they could maintain humanitarian access and prevent disruption of UNRWA operations. The OSOs liaison role also facilitated access for representatives of other UN and international organisations.

The worsening security situation in the Gaza Strip seriously affected the Programme’s operational capacity during the quarter. Following a kidnapping incident involving two international members of the OSO team in August, and the subsequent designation of the Gaza Strip as a Phase Four area under the UN’s classification of risk, the programme’s four international staff members were relocated to Jerusalem on temporary attachment to the West Bank OSO Programme. The Programme in Gaza continued to function at a reduced level, using Palestinian staff members remotely managed from Jerusalem.

In both Gaza and the West Bank, the Programme also continued to pursue one of its main tasks, i.e. routinely checking the Agency’s installations and facilities, to ensure the maintenance of their neutrality and integrity, protecting the privileged status of the United Nations.

In the West Bank, the OSO programme advised heads of department and area officers about the expected movement restrictions related to the Israeli withdrawal from four small settlements in the north of the West Bank. Contingency plans were prepared, and coordination with other Agencies and IDF Liaison Officers was done on a daily basis. The OSO Programme also supported OCHA by providing monitoring and reporting focused upon the Palestinian communities in closed military areas imposed by the IDF during its withdrawal. OSOs and OCHA staff gathered information during the olive harvest, when many Palestinians were denied access to their land by the Barrier or were prevented from accessing their lands due to their proximity to settlement areas.

Monitoring focused on the humanitarian impact of the first phase of the Barrier in the Qalqilya, Tulkarem and Jenin districts. Approximately 200,000 people are affected by the first phase, having lost land, water and agricultural resources in the construction of the barrier itself. They continued to experience problems in accessing essential resources and services because of gate schedules and permit requirements. Promised improvements in movement across the Barrier for Palestinians failed to materialise during the period. Monitoring also focused on the second phase of the Barrier’s construction in the Salfit area and the villages west of

UNRWA Emergency Appeal Twenty Eighth Progress Report: July to September 2005 Page 11 Ramallah, as well as around Jerusalem. In the Hebron area the OSO teams monitored land confiscations and bulldozing of agricultural land owned by Palestinians in preparation for the construction of the barrier. A case study on the issue of seam zone permits will be published in December as an UNRWA/OCHA report.

OSO profiles concentrate on key access, health, education and socio-economic issues, as well as highlighting the problems particular to each enclave. The UNRWA website features reports, profiles and case studies which illustrate the increasing difficulties created by the barrier. Visit: http://www.un.org/unrwa/emergency/barrier /index.html.

Obstacles Encountered

As a matter of course, international staff of humanitarian organizations require prior coordination with Israeli authorities to enter and leave the Gaza Strip. A small number of high-level Palestinian UN staff members are permitted to cross with 48 hours notice, although this practice is frequently halted on unspecified security grounds.

Regarding access for humanitarian supplies, by the end of July 2005, UNRWA had pre-positioned sufficient food and medical reserves in the Gaza Strip to last until November 2005. The Agency is highly dependent on the throughput at the Karni commercial crossing for incoming goods and supplies – a throughput which can be highly variable as the bar chart below shows. A total closure on security grounds imposed on 22 September remained in force at the end of the reporting period.

Imports through Karni Crossing

8,000

7,000 6592 5685 6,000 5828 5676

5,000 4852

4,000 3647

3,000

2,000 1403 1,000

0 Jan Mar May Jun Jul Aug Sep 2005

Fig. 1: Imports through Karni Crossing. Source OCHA Humanitarian Update, October 2005

As previously reported, UNRWA had been prevented by the Israeli authorities to import unleaded petrol during April and May. However, on 29 July a delivery of 47,000 litres was allowed to enter by tanker through Karni. This was agreed as a temporary measure with the proviso that firmer arrangements were to be made post-

UNRWA Emergency Appeal Twenty Eighth Progress Report: July to September 2005 Page 12 disengagement. Current stocks will last until the end of October. Failure to reach a permanent solution on this issue will lead to severe operational problems both for UNRWA and other UN organizations which the Agency supplies.

Over the third quarter of the year in the West Bank, the number of access problems affecting UNRWA staff members at checkpoints operated by the Israeli army and border police increased slightly compared to previous months: 56 access problems were reported to the Operations Office in the month of July; 82 in August; and 77 in September.

Incidents July August September (i) Delay 47 42 54 (ii) Turned away from checkpoint 9 40 23 (iii) Detained by police/army - - Total 56 82 77 No. of employees affected (i) Delayed 307 191 218 (ii) Turned away from checkpoint 29 203 179 (iii) Detained by police/army - - - Total 336 394 397

Fig. 2: Access incidents involving Agency staff Source: UNRWA, October 2005

Jerusalem entry permits: At the end of the reporting period, 380 out of 465 employees or 81.7% of those in need held valid entry permits, compared to 84.5% at the end of the second quarter. The absence of a solution to this long lasting problem has continued to impact on Field Operations.

The number of staff members who were refused permits for alleged security reasons remained the same, at 43 cases.

Though no damage to UNRWA installations was reported over the third quarter of 2005, incursions and harassment were frequent and violent in character, including inter alia: • on 6 August 2005, Israeli soldiers opened fire in Tulkarem Camp, resulting in the injury of a child; • on 24 August, an Israeli army undercover unit surrounded a Palestinian house in Tulkarem Camp and opened fire, apparently erroneously killing five Palestinians and injuring ten others, as noted above; • on 25 August, in Balata Camp, Israeli soldiers opened fire at refugees during a search campaign and two refugees were detained; • on 20 September, Israeli soldiers opened fire during a search campaign in Nur Shams Camp and nine refugees were detained; • on 30 September, in Askar Camp, Palestinian youth stoned IDF soldiers who responded with live rounds; in consequence, a 13-year old boy was killed.

UNRWA Emergency Appeal Twenty Eighth Progress Report: July to September 2005 Page 13 Annexes: A. UNRWA Emergency Fact Sheet B. Spreadsheets: pledges and contributions received, all appeals, as of 30 September 2005. C. Spreadsheets: expenditure report, 2005 Emergency Appeal; Combined expenditure report, earlier appeals.

Cover photograph: UNRWA photo, by Adnan Abu Hasna

UNRWA Emergency Appeal Twenty Eighth Progress Report: July to September 2005 Page 14 UNRWA Emergency Activities Fact Sheet July-September 2005

Category Gaza Strip West Bank Total Emergency Employment Creation Direct Hire Persons Hired 6,811 1,967 8,778 (78.5% male; 21.5% female) (75% male; 25% female) (77.7% male; 22.3% female) Job Days Provided 498,871 113,245 612,116 Dependants Supported 51,414 13,679 65,093 Indirect Hire Construction Job Days Generated 0 1,100 1,100 Maintenance Job Days Generated 0 0 0 Community Infrastructure Job Days Generated 13,659 0 13,659 Community Projects Job Days Generated 0 14,807 14,807 Emergency Food Aid Parcels Delivered 238,426 128,708 367,134 Families Targeted 132,104 65,086 197,190 Est. Number of Individuals Benefitting 607,678 320,178 927,856 Tons of Food Delivered 20,815 6,704.2 27,519 Emergency Relief and Social Assistance Cash Assistance Family Beneficiaries 3,656 4,252 7,908 Individual Beneficiaries 21,157 26,669 47,826 Emergency Household Items Family Beneficiaries 2 24 26 Individual Beneficiaries 8 154 162 Post-Injury Physical and Social Needs Visits made 59 331 390 Referrals 0 120 120 Prostheses Provied 0 39 39 Home Adaptations 0 8 8 Emergency Shelter Repair Repairs Undertaken 0 0 0 Families Benefitting 0 0 0 Individual Beneficiaries 0 0 0 Emergency Health Services Supplimentary Staff Persons Employed 0 512 512 Mobile Clinics 0 Number of Clinics n/a 5 5 Patients Served n/a 35,607 35,607 Emergency Operations Support Operations Support Officers (OSO) 4 10 14 OSO National Staff 4 18 22