Islam Times correspondent in Gaza said that a new report, he got a copy of it, was released recently entitled “Life on the Edge of Danger”. The report stated that about 40,000 Palestinians, who live in Area (C), which constitutes 60% of the lands of the West Bank that are under complete Zionist control, are unable to make the needed and urgent repairs to their sewage systems, schools, homes, or health services. This comes because they are under the strict permit system imposed by the Government of the Zionist occupation.
The report pointed out that the restrictions imposed by the Government of the occupation on the Palestinian access to and development of agricultural land- in an area where almost all the families are herders- mean that thousands of children are going hungry and are vulnerable to deadly illnesses like diarrhea and pneumonia.
The conditions for children in Area (C), according to the Save the Children’s report, reached a crisis point: 79% of the communities surveyed recently in Area (C) did not have enough nutritious food - this is higher than in the besieged Gaza Strip where the rate is 61%.
Moreover, 84% of the families rely on some form of humanitarian assistance to survive. The rates of stunting in Area (C) are more than double than in the Gaza Strip. More than 15% of children under the age of five surveyed were underweight.
In fact, 44% of children in the surveyed area have diarrhea- the biggest killer of children under the age of five in the world, and this rate is alarming.
Salam Kanaan, Save the Children UK’s Country Director said: “in the past weeks, the international community has rightly focused its attention on the suffering of families in the Gaza Strip. Yet, they should not overlook the plight of the children in Area (C)”.
It is widely thought that the Palestinians in the West Bank enjoy a higher standard of living, but tragically many families, particularly in Bedouin and herder communities, suffer from much higher levels of malnutrition and poverty”.
The Children across Area (C) are forced to learn in overcrowded, makeshift classrooms without electricity, access to functioning toilet, and/or safe drinking water. In addition, the aid agencies are limited and unable to help because of the tight restrictions imposed on building.
Salam Kanaan added: “Urgent action must be taken by the Palestinian Authority and the international community to ensure that the children have safe homes, proper classrooms, and enough food to eat and clean water to drink”.
“Save the Children” is working with the most vulnerable children in Area (C). It is providing counseling to those whose homes were demolished along with school stationary and books. The foundation is also doing urgent repairs to the damaged buildings and agricultural lands where possible