PALESTINE Humanitarian Crises Analysis 2015 January 2015

PALESTINE Humanitarian Crises Analysis 2015 January 2015 Each year, Sida conducts a humanitarian allocation exercise in which a large part of its humanitarian budget is allocated to emergencies worldwide. This allocation takes place in the beginning of the year as to ensure predictability for humanitarian organisations and to allow for best possible operational planning. In an effort to truly adhere to the humanitarian principles Sida bases its allocation decisions on a number of objective indicators of which the most important are related to the number of affected people, vulnerability of affected people and level of funding in previous years. One of the indicators is also related to forgotten crises in order to ensure sufficient funding also to low profile crises. Besides this initial allocation, another part of the humanitarian budget is set aside as an emergency reserve for sudden onset emergencies and deteriorating humanitarian situations. This reserve allows Sida to quickly allocate funding to any humanitarian situation throughout the year, including additional funding to Palestine. 1. CRISIS OVERVIEW The humanitarian situation in Palestine is a direct result of one of the world s most protracted protection crisis as Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank including East Jerusalem continue to live under occupation. The State of Israel as an Occupying Power has obligations under International Law to protect the Palestinian population and to administer the territory under their control in a manner that protects the basic rights and well-being of the population. This is not the case in the occupied Palestine today since Israel claims that West Bank is a disputed land, that Gaza is no longer occupied since late 2005 and consequencly denies the applicability of International Humanitarian Law (IHL). Palestinians are being denied many of their basic human rights; Israeli policies restrict movement and possibility of gaining a living; Palestinians are continuously subjected to violence; their property subject to demolition; and forced displacement continue to be an important reason for human distress. The policies of Israel have lead to the gradual de-development and depopulation in areas of its civilian and military control. Furthermore, Israel continues to encourage their nationals to move into settlements in the West Bank, through economic incitements and preferential access to water and other natural resources. Many Palestinians lack access to basic services and are therefor entirely dependent on external assistance. Almost 50 % of the total population of 4.550,368 are registered as refugees and receive assistance through United Nations Relief and Works Agency for palestine refugees in the near east (UNRWA). In June 2014, yet another international attempt to provide a negotiated solution to the root causes of the conflict failed. On a more positive note, 2014 saw the formation of a Palestinian Government of National Consensus as well as steps towards the merging of the West Bank and Gaza based Ministries. This can be perceived as means to address the long standing intra-palestinian divisions, another cause of vulnerability. While still at it early stages, the creation of a unified Palestinian leadership and administration would eventually enhance their ability to become the primary service provider. The National Consensus Government has so far not been in a position to exercise governance and provide the much needed services in Gaza. The humanitarian situation worsened dramatically during 2014 due to the war in Gaza in July-August. The end result includes thousands of dead and injured, hundreds of thousands of newly displaced Palestinians, and massive physical destruction. The war in Gaza was a difficult trauma on a population already living in a humanitarian and protection crisis. Sweden has used other funding streams from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs (MFA), Human security allocation (early recovery/resilience), and are planning to use funds from the development frame from January onwards for reconstruction activities. The Israeli blockade in combination with Egyptian restrictions, have continued to undermine the living conditions of 1.8 million residents of the Gaza Strip. The blockade imposed by Israel on Palestinians in Gaza clearly violates their basic rights such as access to livelihoods, essential services and housing. Restrictions on external trade, including those with Israel and on transfers to and from the West Bank, prevent the realization of Gaza s economic potential. This is an important contributing factor to the extremely high levels of unemployment in Gaza. Livelihood in Palestine is further undermined by the long-term restrictions on access to agricultural land in the Seam Zone and to fishing areas off the Gaza coastline Humanitarian assistance in the occupied Palestinian territory is a critical element to ensure access to basic services, to prevent a further deterioration in the protection situation, to improve food security, and to prevent forced displacement. A review of six assessments undertaken by humanitarian organizations in Palestine in 2013-2014 indicated that gender issues are rarely prioritized in the data collection and analysis beyond the provision of dissagregated data in quantitative assessments with sectorial or multi-sectorial focus. Where assessments did include a minimum number of 1

gender related questions, the data was overlooked in the final analysis. Gender issues should be considered as integral elements of humanitarian assessments determining vulnerability, food insecurity, household resilience and coping strategies or emergency response. The Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) has been closely supported throughout the Humanitarian Program Cycle (HPC) process by a gender adviser seconded to OCHA opt through funding from Spain and Canada. The gender adviser provided technical guidance and support to clusters and the overall humanitarian community on gender equality programming such as; integration of gender dimensions in information, analysis and programming; and capacity building in gender.together with UN Women the gender adviser has worked to ensure that gender considerations are taken into account in different aspects of the needs analysis presented in the Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO) with considerable improvement in 2014-2015 compared to previous years. The gender adviser has also worked individually with clusters to support them in drafting response plans in a way that supports gender equality, for example gender sensitive indicators, and their use of sex disaggregated data. 1.1 Geographical areas and affected population The main restrictive aspects of the occupation remain in place, resulting in lasting humanitarian vulnerabilities/needs among Palestinians in Gaza, Area C, the Seam Zone and East Jerusalem. 4.550,368 million Palestinians are living under Israeli Occupation in West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip. Vulnerable people: 2.3 million people are food insecure and vulnerable to food insecurity, 1.9 million people in need of assistance, and 1.6 million people are being targeted in the 2015 UN Strategic Response Plan (SRP). 500,000 Palestinians in Gaza became internally displaced as a result of the latest war in Gaza in which 100,000 people are still homeless. Currently 7,500 Bedouins and herders from 46 communities in Area C are at high risk of displacement and eviction. 1.2 Risks and threats The current political situation in Israel/Palestine remains deadlocked with little cause for optimism despite the recent US-led peace initiative. The divide between Fatah and Hamas remains despite the formation of the national consensus government. Many claim that a silent third uprising (Intifada) is in the making in East Jerusalem and many parts of the West Bank are experiencing an increased level of violence since June 2014.The planning assumptions of the 2015 SRP are optimistic and based on: 1) The blockade and related access restrictions continue with some minor relaxations; 2) Conflict dynamics remain volatile but without any major eruptions; 3) Fuel/energy crisis begins to ease; 4) Progress on transitional solutions for Internally Displacement Persons (IDP)s and a slight decrease or same numbers of IDPs, 5) The new national consensus government becomes operational;and 6) The consequences of Israeli policy in Area C such as demolitions/ displacement, land annexation, the settlement enterprise, settler violence continue and increase. In Area C, there is a great risk that most vulnerable communities will remain dependent on emergency interventions for essential services. The Palestinian Authority action plan for Area C with the Community Resilience and Development programme (CRDP) is an example of a plan that Sweden, Austria and soon Norway will fund to improve transition/recovery in Area C and East Jerusalem. Restriction on access continue to hinder implementation of humanitarian programmes in Gaza, Area C, the Seam Zone and East Jerusalem. levels of food insecurity are expected to prevail in Gaza and the West Bank with increased levels of dependency on international aid due to continued Israeli restrictions on freedom of movement. 1.3 Strategic objectives identified in the Strategic Response Plan 1) Enhancing the protection of populations in Gaza, Area C, the Seam Zone and East Jerusalem by promoting respect for international humanitarian law and human rights: preventing or mitigating the impact of violations and pursuing accountability. 2) Improve the food security and access to livelihoods of vulnerable communities in Palestine, with particular focus on Gaza, Area C, the Seam Zone and East Jerusalem by improving economic access to food. 3) Improve equitable access to essential services and ensure effective integration of protection considerations in service provision interventions. Taking into account national and international long-term development strategies, particular attention has been paid to avoiding gaps, overlaps and duplications between the HPC 2015 and its Strategic Response Plan (SRP), the 2

Palestinian National Development Plan (PNDP), reconstruction plans for Gaza and the United Nations Development Action Framework (UNDAF), notwithstanding that some SRP interventions may help in paving the way for long-term development. 2. IN COUNTRY HUMANITARIAN CAPACITIES 2.1 National and local capacities and constraints The Palestinian Authority has made significant progress with regards to improving its institutions, developing a more sustainable Palestinian economy and articulating a National Development Plan (PNDP) for 2014 to 2016. Examples of this include reorm and revenue collection from the private sector. However, due to restrictions imposed by Israel the Palestinian Authority (PA) is still unable to exert full administrative control (including programming) over Gaza, Area C, the seam zone, and East Jerusalem, which all together represent the major part of Palestine and majority of the population. The national civil society is effectively contributing to the overall humanitarian response. This includes the Palestine Red Crescent Society and more than 800 active Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs). Palestinian NGOs are represented through several umbrella bodies, including the Palestinian NGO network (PNGO) and the Palestinian NGO Development Centre (NDC) which are both members of the HCT. These organisations strengthen Palestinian civil society organizations through technical support, occational financial support, information sharing, research and policy development support. The United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) Disaster Risk Preparedness mission to the State of Palestine deployed in June 2014 found preparedness to be a gap that requires priority attention. The Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) has approached the head of development cooperation at the Consulate regarding MSB support to the Palestinian Civil Defence out of the resources of the development cooperation newly approved strategy for Palestine. 2.2 International operational capacities and constraints There are some 150 INGO s and 19 UN agencies responding to humanitarian needs. The Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) was established in 2008 and coordination arrangements were formalized in March 2009, following a decision between the Emergency Relief Coordinator (ERC) and Inter-Agency Standing Community (IASC). OCHA facilitates the work of the Inter-Cluster Coordination Group (ICG) that consists of six clusters/sectors: Protection Cluster, Food Security Sector, Education Cluster, Water and Sanitation (WASH) Cluster, Health Sector and Shelter Cluster (the Gaza Strip and the West Bank). The Logistics Cluster was activated during the Gaza emergency for a period of two months and then de-activated as per HCT decision. The ICG also works in the preparation of the contingency plan and preparedness measures. OCHA has been preparing the Humanitarian Programme Cycle on behalf of the HCT mobilizing humanitarian funding from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), and acting as the manager of the Emergency Response Fund (ERF) on behalf of the HC. Both the CERF and ERF, under the Reisdence Coordinator (RC)/Humanitarian Coordinator s (HC) leadership, have track records of supporting recurrent emergencies linked to hostilities and extreme weather events. Donors participate in coordination through mechanism such as the Good Humanitarian Donorship (GHD) group and Humanitarian Task Force. Donors do however not participate in the HCT and cluster coordination. Sida is however of the opinion that the cluster coordination needs to be strengthened in Palestine, especially in Gaza. DG ECHO (European Commission Directorate General for Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection) and Sweden, have requested to form part of the HCT or cluster meetings as observers, but these requests have been denied. During the last Gaza war in July-August 2014, through the application of contingency planning procedures, OCHA set up an Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) in Gaza to facilitate information on needs, gaps and responses as well as the coordination of the multi-cluster needs assessment (MIRA). Under the lead of the Ministry of Social Affairs in Ramallah, a national EOC also operated to coordinate and support responses in Gaza, mobilizing the support of the Government of National Consensus for the Gaza Strip. Delays can be faced in releasing goods from Israeli ports and in particular goods defined by Israel as dual use items. UN agencies are under pressure by Israeli authorities to transfer goods through the back-to-back process at cargo checkpoints, a move that would significantly delay the entry of goods while increasing transport costs. In Area C, the difficulty in obtaining construction permits limits the ability of the humanitarian community to provide assistance including shelters, schools, clinics and water infrastructure to vulnerable communities. Internationallyfunded projects have been demolished by Israeli authorities for not having the proper permits, and others are at risk of demolition. The humanitarian leadership improved during and after the latest conflict in Gaza. 3

Sida has different partners who are present in the country, including WE EFFECT(formerly Swedish Cooperative Centre), Diakonia, Islamic Relief-Gaza, and the Christian Council of Sweden through its local national coordinator in Jerusalem. Other Sida s/hum framework partners like NRC, Swedish Red Cross, MSB either have some presence or are very much engaged from HQ. 2.3 International and Regional assistance The original UN Strategic Response Plan requirement in 2014 was $390 million, later amended after the latest war on Gaza (operation Protective edge) July-August to become $928 million. As of November, funding of the SRP 2014 for opt reached 420 million USD and is 45.5% funded. Table 1: Total funding per donor to projects listed in the 2014 Appeal as of November 2014 Donor Funding USD % of Grand Total United States 278,273,759 35.5% Saudi Arabia 80,000,000 10.2% Private (individual & Org) 52,040,193 6.6% European Commission 48,365,623 6.2% Qatar 43,492,996 5.6% United Kingdom 31,937,887 4.1% Sweden 24,492,205 3.1% Canada 19,310,895 2.5% The Strategic Response Plan 2015 presents a strategy budgeted at $705 million to implement 207 projects presented by 77 organisations; 25 from local NGOs,39 international NGOs, and 13 UN agencies. As far as the planned donor support for 2015, ECHO will decrease its humanitarian support to Palestine from 29.5 million Euros in 2014 to 25 million Euros in 2015. 3. SIDAs HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE PLAN 3.1. Sidas role Sida is the co-chair of the locally established GHD group together with ECHO. Sweden is an active member of the humanitarian task force as well as the review board/advisory of Community Resilience & Development Program (CRDP) transition facility as well as Emergency Respond Fund (ERF). Sida aim to influence the strategic discussions with the HCT team as well as Ministry of Planning and Administrative Development (MoPAD). Recent evaluations of individual Sida supported programs motivate continued support to humanitarian interventions as long as the political situation remain unchanged. Much of the achievements and lessons learned in the HPC 2014 refer to inputs, indicators, targets and number of activities as it is difficult to report on proper results especially when the main objectives of CAP are protection and food security. Still, several of Sida partners showed good examples of results. 3.2. Response Priorities 2015 The main key response priorities will focus on protection (promoting respect of IHL) and material protection. Stronger linkages between humanitarian, recovery and development will continue to be a priority for Sida s work in Palestine. Linkages between humanitarian to development is being put to the test with the Sida support to the CRDP facility. Sweden will assist OCHA in recruiting new donors to ERF and keeping present ones. Sweden will continue to be active in GHD meetings being the current co-chair. 3.3. Partners 4

SIDA S HUMNAITARIAN ASSISTANCE TO PALESTINE - 2015 Recommended partner for Sector/focus of work Proposed Sida support 2015 amount for 2015 MSEK UNRWA Emergency Appeal/Multi Sector 40 ICRC Protection 20 OCHA Coordination 1 OCHA/ERF Multi Sector 5 NRC Education, counselling and legal 5 assistance (ICLA) 4 +1for NGO consortium Swedish Red Cross Heath/increase resilience to disasters 5 Islamic Relief Sweden (new) Emergency JCP-Gaza for young 10 MSEK Christian Council of Sweden (on-going) graduates, farmers and fishermen IDP s Protection opt/israel 6 MSEK Diakonia (on-going) Protection/IHL opt & Israel 4 MSEK TOTAL: 96 MSEK SOURCES Global Appeal 2015, International Committee for the Red Cross Humanitarian Needs Overview 2015, UN/OCHA Ukraine Strategic Response Plan 2015, UN/OCHA Situiation Reports 2014 and 2015, We Effect and Diakonia Humanitarian Implementation Plan 2015 for Palestine, ECHO 5

Annex 1: Risk Analysis Hazard Geographical areas and timing Probability What s at risk How is it at risk Impact Occupation/various forms of violence of Civilians across Palestine at all time Economic assets, loss of life, socio-economic instability, violation of IHL, IHRL, and human security Ooccupation, ongoing conflict, continued access restrictions, settler s violence and internal Palestinian divisions have resulted in a protracted protection crisis. The HCT strategy is based on: Improving the protection environment for Palestinian communities most at risk, including access to services. The 2015 Strategic Response Plan (SRP) requests US705 Million to implement 207 projects in 2015 to meet these objectives Threat to Life Civilian farmers living/farming in Access Restricted Areas (ARA) and Fishermen 7,000 explosive items to be recovered after the latest war on Gaza Severe damage/destruction of homes/ 100, 000 IDP s remain displaced in Gaza Continued Israeli military operations in West Bank & violence in E.Jerusalem Demolitions of Palestinian infrastructure discriminatory planning and zoning regime by Israel civilian in Gaza Gaza population Palestinian cities and villages, and E. Jerusalem E. Jerusalem, Area C and Seam Zones Area C Low loss of or disruption to livelihoods, death and injuries loss of or disruption to livelihoods, death and injuries to Gaza population and aid workers Transitional solutions needs to be addressed (housing) Loss of life, injuries and loss of livelihood threats to life, liberty and security, destruction or loss of land, resources, assets and livelihoods, psychosocial distress, increased risk of displacement, and increased risk of arrest illegal settlement expansion while severely restricting, or preventing, Palestinian construction, which translates to loss of Palestinian livelihood, forced displacement. Civilians entering the ARA along the perimeter fence surrounding Gaza and in the coastal area of the Gaza Strip are at risk of being shot at by Israeli forces. The ceasefire agreement of 26 August 2014 has reduced the ARA alongside Gaza fence from 300 to 100 meters and reestablished the fishing zone off Gaza s coast to six miles. Implementation of ceasefire is still assessed as fragile. There was some increase of causalities due to Explosive Remnants of War (ERWs), particularly among children. UN mechanism for reconstruction of damages inflicted by the latest war on Gaza is to be texted. I In 2014 clashes with Israeli forces during demonstrations resulted in 45 deaths including 10 children including 2,800 injured. Under the most likely scenario of the implementation of the (SRP) 2014, the trend is to continue. Thousands of people remain at risk of facing demolitions, most notably in the Jerusalem periphery, the Jordan Valley and in areas earmarked for settlement expansion or closed military zones. A new trend in 2011-2014 is the demolition of donor-funded structures. Without any change in Israeli Policies or donor s pressure, the trend is to continue. The permit application process implemented by the Israeli authorities in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is complex, time-consuming, and expensive and rarely results in the granting of a building 6