UNITED NATIONS
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
occupied Palestinian territory
THE GAZA STRIP:
THE HUMANITARIAN IMPACT OF MOVEMENT RESTRICTIONS ON PEOPLE AND GOODS
JULY 2013
KEY FACTS
� Less than 200 people per day (on average) were allowed out of Gaza via Israel in the first half of 2013, compared to 26,000
in the equivalent period of 2000, before the second Intifada.
� Less than one truckload of goods per day (on average) exited Gaza in the first half of 2013, compared to 38 during the
first half of 2007, before the imposition of the blockade.
� Kerem Shalom, the only functioning official crossing for goods to and from Gaza, was closed for almost half of the time
(52 days) in the first four months of 2013.
� The volume of construction materials that entered Gaza via the tunnels in 2013 was over three times the amount allowed
through the Kerem Shalom crossing.
� Access to land within 300 meters from the fence surrounding Gaza is generally prohibited and access to farming areas
several hundred meters beyond is risky.
� Fishermen are allowed to access less than one third of the fishing areas allocated to them under the Oslo Accords: six
out of 20 nautical miles.
� 57% of Gaza households are food insecure and about 80% are aid recipients.
� Over a third (34.5%) of those able and willing to work are unemployed (PCBS) - one of the highest unemployment rates
in the world.
� A longstanding electricity deficit, compounded by shortages in fuel needed to run Gaza’s power plant, results in power
outages of up to 12 hours a day.
� Only a quarter of households receive running water every day, during several hours only.
� Over 90% of the water extracted from the Gaza aquifer is unsafe for human consumption.
� Some 90 million litres of untreated and partially treated sewage are dumped in the sea off the Gaza coast each day,
creating public health hazards.
� Over 12,000 people are currently displaced due to their inability to reconstruct their homes, destroyed during hostilities.
� At least 230 Palestinian civilians have been killed and over 400 injured while working in tunnels between Gaza and Egypt,
used for the transfer of restricted goods, since June 2007.
1.The longstanding restrictions on the movement
of people and goods to, from and within the
Gaza Strip have continued to undermine the
living conditions of 1.7 million people. Many of the
current restrictions, which were originally imposed in
the early 1990’s, were intensified in June 2007, following
the Hamas takeover of Gaza and the imposition of a
blockade by Israel. Some of them have been subsequently
eased since 2010.These restrictions have reduced access
to livelihoods, essential services and housing, disrupted
family life, and undermined the people’s hopes for a
secure and prosperous future.
2.Despite some economic growth in recent years,
Gaza’s productive capacity remains extremely
weak. The restrictions on external trade, including
with Israel, and on transfers to and from the West Bank
prevent the realization of the Gaza Strip’s economic
potential. This is compounded by the restrictions on
access to agricultural land and fishing waters, and the
chronic shortage of electricity. Current constraints
discourage investment, prevent sustainable growth, and
perpetuate high levels of unemployment, food insecurity
and aid dependency.
3.Import restrictions have led to a sharp increase
in tunnel activities under the border with Egypt.
These restrictions, particularly on the import of basic
construction materials, combined with the lack of
employment opportunities and the huge reconstruction
needs, have pushed thousands of workers, some of them
children, to risk their lives every day in the “tunnels
industry”.
4.The quality and availability of some infrastructure
and essential services has deteriorated. The longterm restrictions have worsened pre-existing gaps in key
services such as health, education, electricity, water and
sanitation. The situation has been compounded by rapid
population growth and damage to infrastructure during
recurrent hostilities. International organisations working
to address these gaps continue to face impediments
stemming from the restrictions on the import of
construction materials and the related approval system.
5.The restrictions on movement of people and
goods between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank
are part of a “policy of separation” adopted by
the Israeli authorities. As a result, people in Gaza are
denied access to West Bank universities; cannot market
their products or seek work in the West Bank; and cannot
maintain normal family or cultural ties with Palestinians in
the West Bank.
6. The UN has repeatedly condemned in the strongest terms
the firing of rockets at Israel by Palestinian armed groups.
Israel has the right and the obligation to take measures
to address this and other security threats. However, such
measures must be in conformity with international
law: they must be proportionate to a
specific threat, temporary, and must not be
punitive in nature.
P. O. Box 38712 East Jerusalem 91386 l tel. +972 (0)2 582 9962 l fax +972 (0)2 582 5841 l [email protected]
l www.ochaopt.org
Scan it!
with QR reader App
26,000
oPt
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs occupied Palestinian territory
FIVE YEARS OF BLOCKADE:
THE HUMANITARIAN SITUATION IN THE GAZA STRIP
July 2013
Movement of people: Erez crossing
Access to fishing areas
The ability of people to gain a living from fishing activities
has been severely undermined as a result of the gradual
restrictions imposed by the Israeli authorities on the access
of fishermen to sea areas along Gaza’s coast.
Daily average of travelers out of Gaza
Annual fish yield at various access limitations
A 3NM in
At
2012
1,938
Se
a
A 6NM in
At
2008
2,845
At 12NM in
1999
130
UNITED
NATIONS
3,650
2000
2010
185
191
2011
2012
2013
N
Zo o E
ne nt
1.5 ry
nm
(3
n
6
n
No auti
ve ca
l
m
be mil
r 2 es
01 Fis
2
3
(c hin
na
g
ea
ut
se Lim
ic
fir
Si al
it
nc mi
E
e
ag nfo
l
e
re
Ja es F
em rced
nu is
h
ar
en
by
y ing
t)
ID
20
F
09 Lim
No i t E
n
ve
f
o
m
be rce
r2 db
01 y
ID
2
F
O
(2 slo
0 Ac
na c
ut ord
ica s
lm ,1
ile 995
s)
Sewage
Be
rti
n
(1 i Co
2
na mm
ut
ic itm
al en
m t,
ile 20
s) 02
metric tonnes of fish
NM: Nautical Miles
The import restrictions have impeded
the expansion and upgrading of Gaza’s
sewage infrastructure. Nearly 90 million
litres of untreated or partially treated
sewage are discharged into the sea every
day. The contamination of seawater poses
a serious health hazard.
m)
Erez Crossing
Beit Lahiya
Beit Hanoun
Jabalia
Despite the recent improvement
in
access to areas as close as 300
Karni
(Closed)
meters from the fence, due to the
lack of clarity on the scope of current
restrictions and the ongoing risks, farmers
are reluctant to invest.
Nahal Oz
(Closed)
N
Zo o
ne E n
1 try
nm
ISRAEL
Crossing Point
Closed Crossing Point
Khan Yunis
No-Go Zone
Mediterranean Sea
Risk Area
Sufa
Tunnels
The blockade has led toE GaY P T
proliferation of tunnels, where
thousands of workers risk their
lives every day smuggling restricted
goods. The volume of construction
materials entering through tunnels is
over three times larger than through the
official crossing.
Access to farming land
Gaza
City
Deir al Balah
Rafah
Crossing
Current Fishing Limit
Previous Fishing Limit
Green Line
4,769
Rafah
Airport
Kerem Shalom
Crossing
Built-up Area
0
2
Refugee Camp
Exit of goods from
the Gaza Strip
4
8
Km
Number of truckloads (January – May)
112
2007
2
170
2010
187
134
2011
2012
FACT SHEET
JULY 2013
81
2013