REPORT: PALESTINIANS DENIED WATER

BBC NEWS
iddle_east/8327188.stm
2009/10/27 08:58:03 GMT

Israel is denying Palestinians access to even the basic minimum of
clean, safe water, Amnesty International says.

In a report, the human rights group says Israeli water restrictions
discriminate against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

It says that in Gaza, Israel’s blockade has pushed the already ailing
water and sewage system to "crisis point".

Israel says the report is flawed and the Palestinians get more water
than was agreed under the 1990s peace deal.

‘Basic need’

In the 112-page report, Amnesty says that on average Palestinian
daily water consumption reaches 70 litres a day, compared with 300
litres for the Israelis.

" Israel must end its discriminatory policies, immediately lift
all the restrictions it imposes on Palestinians’ access to water "
Donatella Rovera Amnesty International

It says that some Palestinians barely get 20 litres a day – the
minimum recommended even in humanitarian emergencies.

While Israeli settlers in the West Bank enjoy lush gardens and
swimming pools, Amnesty describes a series of Israeli measures it
says are discriminating against Palestinians:

Israel has "entirely appropriated the Palestinians’ share of the Jordan
river" and uses 80% of a key shared aquifer West Bank Palestinians
are not allowed to drill wells without Israeli permits, which are
"often impossible" to obtain Rainwater harvesting cisterns are "often
destroyed by the Israeli army" Recommended for short-term survival:
20 litres For the medium term: 70 litres Recommended for the long term:
100 litres (Source: WHO)

Israeli soldiers confiscated a water tanker from villagers who were
trying to remain in land Israel had declared a "closed military area"
An unnamed Israeli soldier says rooftop Palestinian household water
tanks are "good for target practice" Much of the land cut off by the
West Bank barrier is land with good access to a major aquifer Israeli
military operations have damaged Palestinian water infrastructure,
including $6m worth during the Cast Lead operation in Gaza last winter
The Israeli-Egyptian blockade of Gaza has "exacerbated what was already
a dire situation" by denying many building materials needed for water
and sewage projects.

The report also noted that the Palestinian water authorities have
been criticised for bad management, quoting one audit that described
the sector as in "total chaos".

"Water is a basic need and a right, but for many Palestinians obtaining
even poor-quality, subsistence-level quantities of water has become
a luxury that they can barely afford," Amnesty’s Donatella Rovera said.

"Israel must end its discriminatory policies, immediately lift all
the restrictions it imposes on Palestinians’ access to water."

‘Fair share’

Ms Rovera also urged Israel to "take responsibility for addressing
the problems it created by allowing Palestinians a fair share of the
shared water resources".

Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev said "the idea that we’re
taking water away from someone else is simply preposterous".

He argued that Israeli fresh water use per capita had gone down since
1967 due to efficiency and new technologies, while the Palestinians’
use had increased and more than a third of their water was wasted.

If there were allegations of military wrongdoing, those would be
investigated, he said.

He also rejected the claim that Israel was preventing Palestinians
from drilling for water, saying Israel had approved 82 such projects
but the Palestinians had only implemented 26 of them.

"They have received billions of dollars in international aid over the
last decade and a half, why have they not invested that in their own
water infrastructure>?" he asked.

The report also criticised the Oslo Accords, which the Palestinians
agreed to in 1993.

It said that under them, the Palestinians gained the responsibility
for managing an "insufficient" water supply and maintaining "long
neglected" water infrastructure.

Also, the deal left the Palestinians paying Israel for half of the
domestic water used in the West Bank, despite the fact it is extracted
from the shared aquifer.

Mr Regev said Israel provides the Palestinians with more water than
it was required to under the accord.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress