Each Precious Drop: Two Unrecognized Villages without Regular Running Water
The over 1,000 residents of ‘Atir and Um AlHiran, two unrecognized Bedouin villages in the Negev, are not connected to running water – even during the hot summer. In addition, they face discrimination in the allocation of safe water. Physicians for Human Rights-Israel and the residents demand immediate changes.
The over 1,000 residents of two unrecognized Bedouin villages in the Negev (southern section of Israel), obtain their water through one connection. The pipeline supplies about 3,500 cubic meters of water a month. As a result, the residents who reside at a distance from the pipeline have not received running water for the past 4 months and must purchase water at a great cost and transfer them- on their own- many kilometers to their homes.
The residents of the two villages- ‘Atir and Um AlHiran- report that especially now, during the hot summer, days go by during which they have no water. Due to this they lower their daily consumption of water to an abnormal and undesirable level. The residents consume some 115 liters of water per person, per day. The residents of the nearby Jewish community Omer consume, on average, some 350 liters per person per day, and during the summer the average rises.
Another health issue is the fact that the lack of running water forces the residents to store water in containers, which are breeding grounds for germs.
About 4 years ago the residents received permission to be connected to running water, but already in the summer of 2001 problems arose. The actions of the “Bedouin Authority” – the government agency that handles issues pertaining to the Negev Bedouin- seem to imply that it does not intend to solve the problem in the unrecognized villages. Rather, they assume creating new towns for the Bedouins form a proper solution for this urgent problem.
Israel is a party to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Comment 14 to article 12 of the convention established that safe, drinkable water is an integral part of the right to health. The water must be accessible and within a reasonable distance from the residents, even in rural regions. The state is obligated to supply water as part of its overall obligation to provide proper health services. The right to water was recently recognized as its own right (Comment 15 to articles 11&12, The Right to Water, 2002).
The residents of the villages and Physicians for Human Rights-Israel demand that running water be supplied immediately to the people, including the elderly, the ill and children, living without proper infrastructure in the hot Negev desert.
For more information:
Physicians for Human Rights-Israel http://www.phr.org.il
Photo courtesy of B’Tselem:
The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories in our Links section and http://www.btselem.org.il
For more information on the water criis, please visit http://www.btselem.org.il and click “Water Crisis” in their subjects section.
Palestinian-Israeli Conference on Diabetes held in Tul Karem
On Friday, 6 August 2004, Physicians for Human Rights-Israel organized a conference on diabetes in Tul Karem, as part of its Specialist Clinic project. The Palestinian Medical Association in Tul Karem hosted the meeting. Some 120 Palestinian physicians attended the conference, which included lectures and speeches by both Israelis and Palestinians.
The event began with speeches by the governor of Tul Karem, the Palestinian organizers and Prof. Zvi Bentwich who sits on the Board of Directors of Physicians for Human Rights-Israel. Thereafter, the lectures on diabetes began. Prof. Shlomo Melamed, also a board member, lectured on Diabetic Retinopathy (retinal disease caused by diabetes); Dr. Eldad Kish spoke about treatment for the diabetic; Prof. Reuven Wiskoper spoke about preventative treatment for both diabetes and obesity; Dr. Azam Morad lectured on pregnancy and diabetes; Prof. Bentwich spoke about IDDM (type 1 diabetes).
Following the lectures an open discussion took place, after which the head of the Palestinian Medical Association in Tul Karem spoke for a few moments. Before departing the Israeli visitors were served a meal by the hosts. During the meal the Palestinian and Israeli physicians were able to conduct uninhibited conversations- something many felt was a very important part of the day.
“We left the meeting in a state of euphoria and a great sense of satisfaction, since the success was beyond any of our expectations”, said Prof. Bentwich. This, in spite of the many obstacles that stood in the way: checkpoints, roadblocks, and an overall disconnection between the Israeli and Palestinian societies, especially over the past several years of violence. In light of the success of this first attempt, Physicians for Human Rights-Israel intends to continue with the project and conduct more events of this type in other Palestinian cities and towns. “It is obvious to us that this is the right step, and we must continue and expand it to other places and in additional formats”, explained Prof. Bentwich. He then spoke of the need to engage more physicians and have more people- both Palestinians and Israelis- volunteer and partake in this activity.
The project has obvious medical goals that it is determined to meet. In addition, there is also hope that events like this will help bridge the gap between Palestinians and Israelis and allow for positive contact between the two societies.
For more information on the event, or to find out how to join one of the Physicians for Human Rights-Israel clinics, please contact:
Physicians for Human Rights-Israel http://www.phr.org.il
The over 1,000 residents of ‘Atir and Um AlHiran, two unrecognized Bedouin villages in the Negev, are not connected to running water – even during the hot summer. In addition, they face discrimination in the allocation of safe water. Physicians for Human Rights-Israel and the residents demand immediate changes.
The over 1,000 residents of two unrecognized Bedouin villages in the Negev (southern section of Israel), obtain their water through one connection. The pipeline supplies about 3,500 cubic meters of water a month. As a result, the residents who reside at a distance from the pipeline have not received running water for the past 4 months and must purchase water at a great cost and transfer them- on their own- many kilometers to their homes.
The residents of the two villages- ‘Atir and Um AlHiran- report that especially now, during the hot summer, days go by during which they have no water. Due to this they lower their daily consumption of water to an abnormal and undesirable level. The residents consume some 115 liters of water per person, per day. The residents of the nearby Jewish community Omer consume, on average, some 350 liters per person per day, and during the summer the average rises.
Another health issue is the fact that the lack of running water forces the residents to store water in containers, which are breeding grounds for germs.
About 4 years ago the residents received permission to be connected to running water, but already in the summer of 2001 problems arose. The actions of the “Bedouin Authority” – the government agency that handles issues pertaining to the Negev Bedouin- seem to imply that it does not intend to solve the problem in the unrecognized villages. Rather, they assume creating new towns for the Bedouins form a proper solution for this urgent problem.
Israel is a party to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Comment 14 to article 12 of the convention established that safe, drinkable water is an integral part of the right to health. The water must be accessible and within a reasonable distance from the residents, even in rural regions. The state is obligated to supply water as part of its overall obligation to provide proper health services. The right to water was recently recognized as its own right (Comment 15 to articles 11&12, The Right to Water, 2002).
The residents of the villages and Physicians for Human Rights-Israel demand that running water be supplied immediately to the people, including the elderly, the ill and children, living without proper infrastructure in the hot Negev desert.
For more information:
Physicians for Human Rights-Israel http://www.phr.org.il
Photo courtesy of B’Tselem:
The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories in our Links section and http://www.btselem.org.il
For more information on the water criis, please visit http://www.btselem.org.il and click “Water Crisis” in their subjects section.
Palestinian-Israeli Conference on Diabetes held in Tul Karem
On Friday, 6 August 2004, Physicians for Human Rights-Israel organized a conference on diabetes in Tul Karem, as part of its Specialist Clinic project. The Palestinian Medical Association in Tul Karem hosted the meeting. Some 120 Palestinian physicians attended the conference, which included lectures and speeches by both Israelis and Palestinians.
The event began with speeches by the governor of Tul Karem, the Palestinian organizers and Prof. Zvi Bentwich who sits on the Board of Directors of Physicians for Human Rights-Israel. Thereafter, the lectures on diabetes began. Prof. Shlomo Melamed, also a board member, lectured on Diabetic Retinopathy (retinal disease caused by diabetes); Dr. Eldad Kish spoke about treatment for the diabetic; Prof. Reuven Wiskoper spoke about preventative treatment for both diabetes and obesity; Dr. Azam Morad lectured on pregnancy and diabetes; Prof. Bentwich spoke about IDDM (type 1 diabetes).
Following the lectures an open discussion took place, after which the head of the Palestinian Medical Association in Tul Karem spoke for a few moments. Before departing the Israeli visitors were served a meal by the hosts. During the meal the Palestinian and Israeli physicians were able to conduct uninhibited conversations- something many felt was a very important part of the day.
“We left the meeting in a state of euphoria and a great sense of satisfaction, since the success was beyond any of our expectations”, said Prof. Bentwich. This, in spite of the many obstacles that stood in the way: checkpoints, roadblocks, and an overall disconnection between the Israeli and Palestinian societies, especially over the past several years of violence. In light of the success of this first attempt, Physicians for Human Rights-Israel intends to continue with the project and conduct more events of this type in other Palestinian cities and towns. “It is obvious to us that this is the right step, and we must continue and expand it to other places and in additional formats”, explained Prof. Bentwich. He then spoke of the need to engage more physicians and have more people- both Palestinians and Israelis- volunteer and partake in this activity.
The project has obvious medical goals that it is determined to meet. In addition, there is also hope that events like this will help bridge the gap between Palestinians and Israelis and allow for positive contact between the two societies.
For more information on the event, or to find out how to join one of the Physicians for Human Rights-Israel clinics, please contact:
Physicians for Human Rights-Israel http://www.phr.org.il