UNDAC/OCHA Mission report Occupied Palestinian Territory 20 Apr 2002 - 10 May 2002

Background
Following a request by UNRWA' s Commissioner General Peter Hansen to Kenzo Oshima on 19 April for OCHA's assistance in the humanitarian crisis in the occupied Palestinian territory, OCHA deployed a United Nations Disaster Assessment and Co-ordination (UNDAC) Team, to assist UNRWA in the coordination of the humanitarian response to the current emergency in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, with particular reference to the situation in Jenin and other refugee camps.

The United Nations Disaster Assessment and Co-ordination (UNDAC) Team is normally deployed to ensure close links between country-level and international relief co-ordination efforts. It assists in meeting international needs for early and qualified information on the situation and in the co-ordination of international relief at the site of the emergency. Mr. Hansen also requested for OCHA's assistance in providing expertise on de-mining coordination for Jenin refugee camp and facilitating the deployment of two Habitat experts. The UNDAC team was carrying satellite communications equipment to secure communications from the disaster site to your office.

A team of 7 persons was mobilised, composed of Jamie McGoldrick, Team leader, (OCHA), Caroline de Borbon Palma (OCHA), Simo Wecksten, (Finland), Adriaan van Schalkwyk, (New Zealand), Terje Skavdal (Norway), Peter Lundberg (Sweden based in Palestine) and Goder Yohannes (Senior Field Advisor, UNDP/BCPR). Daniel Augstburger, Senior Emergency Humanitarian Officer, was also deployed to strengthen the OCHA team in its provision of support to UNRWA and UNSCO and especially to work on the issue of protection of civilians.

UNDAC/OCHA Activities

Deployment took place on 20 April with the linking up in Jerusalem the following. At this point there was an overview meeting with UNRWA, UNSCO, World Bank and ICRC to discuss how UNDAC and OCHA could be best used for assessments and emergency response.

The division of labour of the UNDAC team was as follows: the UNDAC team leader stayed in Jerusalem working with the sectoral support groups, UNRWA, the World Bank and UNICEF to develop a humanitarian overview for the Oslo conference that was due to be held on the 24 -25 April 2002. He also facilitated the mission of the Assistant Emergency Relief Co-ordinatior and visited Jenin and Gaza. Carolina de Borbon Parma also stayed in Jerusalem to work with the food group who needed particular support. She then moved to Jenin to generate reports for the media and on UNDAC activities and daily situation reports. Peter Lundberg remained in Jerusalem, supporting co-ordination efforts and update from the donor community, as well as providing information from regular field trips.

In general terms, the UNDAC Team was involved in the planning of the tent camp and in supporting the co-ordination efforts of UNRWA representative, participating in coordination meeting with the Governor's office, Municipality representatives, donors, especially the Norwegian mission which was assigned overall donor support to the Jenin Governorate, briefing incoming missions and debriefing of missions, and maintaining an information flow on activities and needs with regular situation reports.

Terje Skavdal (acting as UNDAC Team leader for Jenin) was deployed to the Jenin camp to carrying out damage assessment work, destruction of dangerous structures etc...), negotiating with teams arriving, writing updates and maintaining communication, and support planning for the 'tent city' in the camp to house the 4-5,000 estimated homeless. Adriaan van Schalkwyck also deployed to Jenin, and worked with assessment teams in support of UNRWA and the Palestinian Authority on damage and reconstruction needs, as well as tent city planning and design. Goder Yohannes (Jenin Camp) carried out an inventory of on-going efforts, of actors and agencies assisting in damage assessments. He returned to Jerusalem on the 24th to work with on macro economic needs with UNDP and World Bank. Simo Weckstein was first deployed to Nablus to participate in damage and needs assessments for 2 days and then moved to Jenin to work on the construction of the tent city.

Grigor Hovannisyan, the OCHA team leader worked with the Jenin Governate on the co-ordination activities on health and food needs. He was back to Jerusalem on 24 April to develop inputs on the overall humanitarian needs. He also accompanied Ross Mountain, AERC, on field visits to affected areas.

Regarding de-mining activities, OCHA facilitated the deployment of a de-mining specialist Noel Mulner, Deputy Director of UNMAS, who arrived on 28 April 2002 to assess the unexploded munitions. OCHA/UNDAC established a co-ordination body for these munitions, the UN Explosives Ordnance Device Action Cell (UNEAC), composed by the SRSA and UNMAS. Its role is to provide advice to UNRWA on unexploded munitions issues in the refugee camp and to co-ordinate all efforts and information with the UN agencies, the ICRC, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, the Police and the municipality. The Palestinian police is part of this effort with UNMAS to secure areas and clear unexploded munitions.

Daniel Augstburger (not part of the UNDAC team) travelled to Jenin camp and city concentrating on the protection of civilian issues and feedback to OCHA NY and to accumulate information for the UN Fact-finding mission and to support the tent city planning.

OCHA office and the UNDAC team were heavily involved in assessments in affected areas as part of the preparations for the Oslo conference and for emergency response purposes. Assessments were undertaken in Nablus, Qualqilya and Bethlehem.OCHA worked closely with the World Bank and UNSCO to develop a paper on humanitarian needs for the conference. OCHA/UNDAC worked closely with support and sectoral coordination groups on assessment methodology, data collection and analysis, data coordination and relief /emergency response operations.

It was decided that a Humanitarian Information Centre (HIC) would be set up in Jerusalem with links to Jenin and other locations to promote a more inclusive and effective approach to the collection, sharing and use of information on the activities of UN agencies, NGOs, donors and the authorities.

Overview of the Present Humanitarian Situation

Since the start of the conflict over 19 months ago, there has been a marked increase in the vulnerability of Palestinian and Israeli civilians, with deaths and suffering on both sides, the erosion of basic human rights, and a significant decline in the health and welfare of large sectors of the population. During the recent intensification of hostilities and occupations on Palestinian cities, towns, villages, and refugee camps, the strain on civilians has been even greater. The long-term impoverishment expected to result from the current military assault has magnified already precarious living conditions and the wider ramifications should not be underestimated.

The severe recession that had affected the Palestinian economy has been aggravated by the closure of the Palestinian territories, with the decline exacerbated by high unemployment in the private sector. The refugee camps have been the most affected by the conflict, exposing the acute vulnerability of the population. It is now estimated that more than 46% of the West Bank camp households live below the poverty line, compared to 34% in the rest of the West Bank. Unemployment in the camps was until March already at 30%. It was estimated by a recent World Bank study on the effects of the fifteen months of the Intifada that almost half of the Palestinian population was living below the poverty line.

The most dramatic effects were seen in the health and welfare status of civilians. In UNRWA's emergency appeal for 2002 it highlighted that the health of women and children had deteriorated during the last 18 months to alarming levels of low birth weights and rising stillbirth rates.

The overall humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate markedly as a result of the incursions and closures. This has resulted in a dramatic rise in the numbers of casualties and injured among the Palestinian population, disruptions in the provision of basic services to a sizeable number of the urban population and considerable damage to the assets and infrastructure of national and international service providers.

While the Jenin incursion had serious impact on livelihoods of thousands of Palestinians 4,000 of whom have been rendered homeless, the overall impact of Intifada and the Israeli policy of closures have a much more extensive humanitarian impact. The long-term impoverishment expected to result from the current military assault has magnified already precarious living conditions and the wider ramifications should not be underestimated. Given the current level of closures and siege of entire populated areas, it is increasingly believed that the international community is facing a medium-to-long term humanitarian crisis in the West Bank and Gaza.

The effects were seen in the health and welfare status of civilians. In UNRWA's emergency appeal for 2002 it highlighted that the health of women and children had deteriorated during the last 18 months to alarming levels of low birth weights and rising stillbirth rates. Assistance required includes food aid, nutrition support, primary health care, psychosocial support, especially children and education. It should be noted that many people have had their livelihoods and coping mechanisms reduced or destroyed and this has resulted in new hardship social cases. The humanitarian situation in both the West Bank and Gaza is expected to worsen. Growing numbers of civilians, both refugee and non-refugee face an uncertain existence.

Challenges and Constraints

The overall access situation remains difficult for relief agencies. There is a need to intensify negotiations with the Israeli authorities (and also probably with the Israeli civil society and lawyers) over access to affected populations. At the moment access is severely restricted by various procedures. While curfews have been lifted in most towns, many are still 'ringed' by military forces and checkpoints, remaining closed off and free movement of people and supplies prevented. Access of civilians to basic services and access by humanitarian workers to these civilians in need is severely restricted. Humanitarian workers face many obstacles and bureaucratic delays in reaching those in need.

Since gaining access to affected areas large amounts of unexploded munitions have been found. Many of these unexploded munitions were found in the Jenin camp following international teams initial assessments (Swiss SDC and Norwegian Peoples Aid). Their speedy disposal is a concern. The Israeli army was asked for de-mining assistance, but no response was received to that request. Alternative sources of equipment for Jenin are being previewed but subject to Israeli Government acceptance. A large number is estimated to be strewn around posing a major risk to children's lives in Nablus and other areas were intense military exercises took place.

Credible reports have emerged of grave breaches of international humanitarian law, including the targeting of medical personnel, denial of medical care to the injured and chronically ill, actual and threatened violence against clearly-identified humanitarian have been recorded. At the same time there has been widespread and wanton destruction of civilian infrastructure for water and electricity, and a basic lack of respect for civilian life and welfare, as prohibited under specific provisions of the Geneva Conventions.

Regarding agencies capacity, the current crisis with the closures preventing Palestinians staff from moving freely has had a major impact on agencies, especially for UNRWA. This reliance on Palestinian staff ultimately hampered UNRWA's capacity from responding to the crisis.

The majority of agencies present has predominantly a development assistance culture. That said, the relative stability of the situation is attributable to the efficiency of service providers, including the Palestinian Authorities and the local authorities in promptly addressing the most acute needs in the early aftermath of the hostilities. It has to be noted however that following the targeting of the Palestinian Authority, institutions were weakened. Support will be required to re-establish social and welfare services and to augment the capacity of overloaded and weakened Palestinian institutions.

Problems exist for agencies working in the occupied Palestinian territories. Two OCHA staff members travelling to support the setting up of the Humanitarian Information Centre with their national passports, UN laissez-passers and UN travel certificate were denied entry by the competent Israeli authority at Ben Gurion's airport - although both OCHA staff members are nationals of countries (Germany and the United States) normally allowed to obtain the standard three-month visas on arrival - were detained in the airport and returned to NewYork on 29 April. The denial of entry could be related to the possible visit of the UN Fact-finding mission (established under resolution 1405 of 19 April 2002) that was to be deployed to Jenin "to develop accurate information regarding recent events in the Jenin refugee camp", disbanded by the Secretary General on 2 May 2002.

Co-ordination

The emergency operations rooms (health, food, shelter, infrastructure, trauma, water/sanitation) that have been created in the early onset of the reoccupation are currently being solidified, as the rescue/life-saving operations gradually enter a more stable phase with assessments and longer-term planning exercises. The humanitarian community believes that these structures could eventually become the basis for efficient sector co-ordination. These should be attached to the existing sectoral committees where appropriate. As the current crisis unfolds it is imperative that co-ordination arrangements are regularly reviewed.

OCHA will review its current capacity and relations with both UNRWA and UNSCO to best support the co-ordination of the humanitarian activities for both refugee and non-refugee populations requiring assistance.

A Humanitarian Information Centre (HIC) will support the overall effort of the humanitarian community (relief agencies and donor-driven assessment exercise) and including the PA and to help develop and implement an information strategy that will systematise data collection, collation, analysis and information dissemination. Dfid seconded an expert to Jerusalem to support OCHA in establishing an efficient information collection and dissemination capacity. OCHA staff were deployed from headquarters in New York to support the HIC.

A common humanitarian action plan (CHAP) is currently being developed to prepare the UN and the relief community as a whole to face the humanitarian consequences of the continued closures leading to a de facto isolation/compartmentalisation of the West Bank urban and rural areas. The CHAP could also consolidate the already launched agency appeals, including those by NGOs.

Support should be provided to the International NGO community in mobilising resources for NGO consortium AIDA. The Palestinian NGO network is reportedly equipped with such structures and does not currently need any additional support.

A working group on advocacy/protection will be established on the basis of the tri-lateral UNSCO/UNRWA/OCHA group to build a consensus among humanitarian organisation as to promoting a concerted advocacy policy. This group would also establish a system of tracking and documenting violations of IHL and develop channels for regular contacts with the Israeli civil society on humanitarian matters in the oPt. The protection group could become useful is the legal assistance to Palestinian and Israeli NGOs pursuing humanitarian issues through the Israeli judiciary.

In order to be able to provide a number of services to the relief/donor community at large, OCHA oPt will substantially increase its current human and material resources. This will include the establishment of a head office in Jerusalem (within UNSCO) and field offices in addition to the existing Gaza office.

Agencies will need to enhance their emergency response capacity to address the current humanitarian situation. Already WFP, UNICEF and ICRC have started to review and expand their operations to address these new developments.

The relief community is gradually gearing-up its efforts to meet the increased immediate requirements, but also additional needs resulting from the protracted internal/external closure of the oPt. In addition to its US $118 million appeal, UNRWA is looking at possibilities of revising its funding requirements to accommodate the dramatic rise in the number of vulnerable refugees as a result of the February and March successive re-occupations.

Likewise, WFP has already began to build up its logistics capacities and is preparing an EMOPS for a new caseload of beneficiaries for over 500,000 persons. UNICEF is also reviewing its current portfolio and expand its operations to emergency health, nutrition, and other sectors in addition to the psychosocial support and education. ICRC is currently expanding its operations to increase number of delegates and new major food/non-food distribution programme that will cover some 60,000 families, - 300,000 mostly rural residents throughout the West Bank.

The NGO community is also attempting to scale up its response capacity both in terms of sectors of intervention and in terms of geographic coverage.

The overall humanitarian situation is now stable although it had markedly deteriorated as a result of the April incursions/reoccupation. This deterioration implied a dramatic rise in the numbers of casualties and injured among the Palestinian population, disruptions in the provision of basic services to a sizeable number of the urban population and considerable damage to the assets and infrastructure of national and international service providers.

The subsequent stability of the situation, on the other hand, is attributable to the efficiency of service providers, including municipalities, UNRWA, ICRC/PRCS, Ministry of Health, and local/regional charity network in promptly addressing the most acute needs in the early aftermath of the hostilities.

The current situation in the oPt can be defined as a crisis within a crisis. While the Jenin drama had serious impact on livelihoods of thousands of Palestinians 4,000 of whom have been rendered homeless, the overall impact of Intifada and the Israeli policy of closures have a much more extensive humanitarian impact. Given the current level of closures and siege of entire populated areas, it is increasingly believed that the international community is facing a medium-to-long term humanitarian crisis in the West Bank and Gaza.