Jerusalem: About 44 per cent of the West
Bank is effectively off-limits to Palestinian construction,
with much of that area reserved for the Israeli military and
settlers, a UN agency said on Tuesday.
This "directly contributes to the poor living conditions
confronting many Palestinian residents of the West Bank," the
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
said in a report.
Restrictions on Palestinian use of land and resources are
prevalent in the so-called Area C which is under full Israeli
control and represents 60 per cent of the West Bank.
"Palestinian construction is effectively prohibited in
some 70 per cent of Area C, or approximately 44 per cent of
the West Bank, in areas that have been largely designated for
the use of Israeli settlements or the Israeli military," OCHA
said.
Unable to obtain permits, tens of thousands of
Palestinians build illegally and, as a result, face the risk
of demolition and displacement, it said.
OCHA in 2009 recorded 180 demolitions of
Palestinian-owned structures in Area C, which led to 319
Palestinians, including 167 children, being displaced.
The restrictions undermine the livelihoods of herders and
farmers who are unable to build animal shelters and
agricultural infrastructure and have only limited access to
the land.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, December 15, 2009, 20:55