Losing ground: Protection and livelihoods in the Occupied Palestinian Territory

Humanitarian Policy Group – Working Paper - July 28, 2009 - Back to Resources Page [1]

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The occupation of Palestine and the conflict and violence that have attended it has had devastating implications for protection and livelihoods in the West Bank and Gaza. A series of measures have combined to create ‘a crisis of human dignity where the entire population is denied basic rights’ (CAP, 2009). This Working Paper analyses the relationship between protection and livelihoods in the oPt. It explores how threats to people’s protection are linked to their livelihoods, the impact of these threats on particular groups in the West Bank and Gaza and the strategies they employ in response. The study analyses the efforts of humanitarian organisations to link protection and livelihoods in their work, with recommendations on how this work could be expanded in the oPt and elsewhere.

Freedom of movement, land and property rights and physical safety in the oPt

Freedom of movement within the oPt and between it and the outside world has been severely curtailed by a number of Israeli policies, including the blockade of Gaza and a sophisticated ‘closure regime’ in the West Bank, which regulates Palestinian movement through a system of physical barriers, permits, military zones and nature reserves. The most striking physical restriction on movement is the so-called ‘Barrier’, a 10m-high wall and fence designed to protect Israeli civilians from Palestinian militant attacks. The current routing of the Barrier, declared illegal by the International Court of Justice where it deviates into the West Bank, has resulted in loss of access to 10% of West Bank territory, cutting off approximately 10,000 Palestinians (OCHA and UNRWA, 2008). By limiting access to Israel, the Barrier severely restricts employment for Palestinians in Israel and hampers trade and commerce by increasing transport costs and reducing access to international markets.

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Humanitarian Policy Group – Working Paper - July 28, 2009 - Back to Resources Page [1]