United Nations Nations Unies The Humanitarian Impact of the West Bank Barrier on Palestinian Communities March 2005 Update No. 5 A report to the Humanitarian Emergency Policy Group (HEPG), compiled by the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in the occupied Palestinian territory.1 Men crossing a gap in the unfinished Barrier in Abu Dis, Western side of Jerusalem (2005) Table of Contents 1 Findings and Overview Introduction .........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................1 Map | West Bank Barrier: New Route Comparison ..............................................................................................................................................2 Overview and Key Developments of the Latest Barrier Route ..........................................................................................................3 Map | West Bank Barrier Projections: Preliminary Overview ..............................................................................................................4 Background ...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................7 2 Barrier construction update and humanitarian impact 2 A Northern West Bank Barrier Tu b a s ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................8 Jenin ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................8 Map | North West Bank Barrier ..............................................................................................................................................................................................9 Case Study | Barta’a ash Sharqiya “closed area” Jenin: family isolated .............................................................. 11 Case Study | Jayyous: Access to Agricultural Land ............................................................................................................................ 12 Tu lkarm ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 13 Qalqiliya ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 13 Salfit ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 14 Map | North West Bank Barrier: New Buffer Zone ............................................................................................................................. 15 Case Study | Olive Harvest - 2004 ................................................................................................................................................................................... 17 2 B Central West Bank Barrier Ramallah ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 18 Jerusalem ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 19 Map | Central West Bank Barrier ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 21 Case Study | Atarot North Jerusalem: Arab Orphanage Industrial School ................................................. 24 North Bethlehem ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 25 Case Study | Sheikh Sa’d: Access to Jerusalem ......................................................................................................................................... 26 2 C South West Bank Barrier West Bethlehem ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 27 Hebron ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 28 Map | South West Bank Barrier .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 29 Map | Western Bethlehem Governorate: The seven villages ............................................................................................... 31 3 Access through the Barrier Barrier Gates ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 33 Summary of Gates by Governorate ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 33 Barrier Gate Definitions ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 34 Humanitarian Access ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 34 Map | Barrier Gates .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 35 Table | Barrier Gates Summary .......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 37 4 Appendix Glossary of Terms .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 39 Endnotes ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 40 1 Findings and Overview This report is divided into four parts; * The first part provides a general overview of the Barrier route and its humanitarian implications. It also includes a brief overview of certain legal developments. * The second part of the report is divided into geographic areas (from north- south) and provides a detailed description of the construction in each area along the route. A summary of key developments is provided at the beginning of each area section. * Case studies are included throughout the report describing the Humanitarian situation of communities affected by the route of the Barrier. * The final part of this report discusses access through the Barrier and provides a detailed description of the gates in the Barrier. Concerned that Palestinian livelihoods Introduction and access to essential services would be harmed by the construction of the West Bank Barrier, the international donor community - through the Humanitarian Emergency Policy Group (HEPG) - requested regular updates on the humanitarian impact of the Barrier. The HEPG comprises the European Commission and the EU President, the World Bank, USAID, Norway and UNSCO. This is the fifth such update and