Dr. Barghouthi pointed out that Israel is currently withholding 800 mcm of the 963 mcm of water resources produced in the West Bank each year, a fact exacerbating already-dire inequalities in access to natural resources, which see Palestinians allowed to consume just 50 mcm per capita per year compared to 2,400 mcm for each Israel‘s 475,000 illegal settlers in the West Bank.
He added that Bethlehem city, including its refugee camps, and Silt-a-Daher village in the Jenin district were being particularly badly affected.
Dr. Barghouthi urged the Palestinian government to take immediate action to address this issue, saying that it has shown little capability in doing so until now.
Such water shortages are common as a result of Israel‘s confiscation and control over Palestinian resources, which leave Israel responsible for ensuring that Palestinian communities have access to adequate, good quality water partly via its government-owned corporation, the Mekorot Water Company. Since the start of the Intifada in September 2000, Mekorot has been reducing water supplies to many Palestinian communities and in some cases, has completely stopped supply.
The Palestinian Hydrology Group cites a decrease in supply, particularly during critical summer months as one of the primary problems related to the Mekorot Water Company and Israeli control over resources. [1]
This shortage of water affects every function that water plays in human life, such as drinking, bathing, cleaning, watering crops, and providing water for livestock, with obvious, severe implications for the humanitarian and economic situation in Palestine.
Notes
[1] Palestinian Hydrology Group. 2004. Water for Life: Israeli Assault on Palestinian Water, Sanitation and Hygiene During the Intifada. http://www.phg.org/waterforlife/waterforlife.html.
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