UNITED NATIONS

Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs occupied Palestinian territory

HUMANITARIAN FACT SHEET ON THE JORDAN VALLEY AND DEAD SEA AREA
FEBRUARY 2012

KEY FACTS
The Jordan Valley and Dead Sea area covers around 30% of the West Bank, and is home to nearly 60,000 Palestinians. 87% of the land is designated as Area C, virtually all of which is prohibited for Palestinian use, earmarked instead for the use of the Israeli military or under the jurisdiction of Israeli settlements. An additional 7% is formally part of Area B, but is unavailable for development, as it was designated a nature reserve under the 1998 Wye River Memorandum. Around one quarter of Palestinians in the area reside in Area C, including some 7,900 Bedouin and herders. Some 3,400 people reside partially or fully in closed military zones and face a high risk of forced eviction. There are 37 Israeli settlements, with a population of 9,500, established across the area, in contravention of international law. In 2011, the Israeli authorities demolished over 200 Palestinian-owned structures in the area, displacing around 430 people and affecting the livelihoods of another 1,200 Palestinians. Water consumption dips to 20 litres/capita/day in most herding communities in the area, compared to the WHO recommendation of 100 l/c/d and the average settlement consumption of 300 l/c/d. Access to the area is limited to six routes, four of which are controlled by Israeli checkpoints, severely restricting the movement of Palestinian-plated vehicles. If Palestinians gain access to 50,000 dunums (12,500 acres or 3.5% of Area C) of uncultivated land, this could generate a billion dollars of revenue per year (The World Bank).

1. The majority of the Jordan Valley and Dead Sea area is off limits to Palestinian residential or community use and development, due to the inability to obtain building permits from the Israeli Civil Administration, including for homes and basic service infrastructure, such as schools, roads or water networks, as well as restrictions on access to grazing and agricultural areas. 2. Palestinian access to and from the Jordan Valley area is highly constrained by dozens of checkpoints, roadblocks and trenches, further fragmenting the West Bank. These restrictions have impeded the access of Palestinians to grazing land, services, markets for agricultural produce, and undermined family and social ties. 3. The restrictions on access to transportation routes, to agricultural land and to water resources have hampered the Palestinian agricultural sector. The denial of access to the Dead Sea coastline has also prevented the development of a potentially

significant source for revenue and employment. Meanwhile, Israeli settlements have been able to develop highly profitable agricultural, mineral, touristic and other businesses. 4. Thousands of Palestinians in the area are at risk of forced displacement.This is due to a combination of factors, including demolitions, forced evictions from closed military zones and the inability to meet basic needs due to a range of Israeli-imposed restrictions. 5. Under international law, Israel, as an occupying power, has an obligation to protect the civilian population and to administer the territory for their benefit. This includes respecting their human rights and ensuring that their basic needs are met. The demolition of civilian Palestinian homes, as well as the transfer of Israeli settlers into the occupied territory, are strictly prohibited and must be brought to a halt.

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United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs occupied Palestinian territory

JORDAN VALLEY AND DEAD SEA AREA

February 2012
ZONING OF LAND IN THE JORDAN VALLEY AND DEAD SEA AREA
border area and military bases)

Jordan Valley and Military areas (includingArea Dead Sea closed areas,

Jenin

Tubas

Settlements municipal boundaries Jordanup areas) and cultivated land (inc. Valley and built Dead Sea Area
Tulkarm

Jenin

Israeli nature reserves

Nablus

Areas under jurisdiction of Settlements Regional Councils Palestinian nature reserves (Wye River Memorandum) Total areas off limits for Palestinian Qalqiliya development (accounting for overlap)

Qalqiliya

Tubas

Tulkarm

Salfit

Nablus

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Governorate Capital

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Green Line Constructed / Under Construction Barrier Planned Barrier Main Road No Man's Land

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Ramallah

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East Jerusalem

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Jordan Valley and Dead Sea Area Settlements Municipal Boundaries

and Palestinian Community Cultivated Land

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East Jerusalem

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FACT SHEET February 2012

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