FIVE YEARS AFTER THE ICJ ADVISORY OPINION ON THE WALL

OCHA's latest report on the Barrier "Five Years after the International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion: A Summary of the Humanitarian Impact of the Barrier"
http://www.ochaopt.org/documents/ocha_opt_barrier_report_july_2009_english_low_res.pdf

This report provides an overview of the humanitarian impact of the Barrier, highlighting the central role it plays in the system of access and movement restrictions, and continuing fragmentation of the West Bank. It examines the impact on urban areas, on the closed area communities isolated between the Barrier and the Green Line, and on the rural communities which are primarily affected by the permit and gate regime. A chronology, basic facts and figures and the latest Barrier projections are also included. The second part provides a graphic overview of the route and impact on the eight affected West Bank governorates which the Barrier runs through. Accompanying each map is an overview of the impact of the Barrier in the governorate; the number and type of crossings (checkpoints and gates); and information boxes to illustrate concerns caused by the Barrier in the specific governorate.

Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)

Table of contents:

Brief Chronology of the Barrier ........................................................................................................2

Executive Summary .......................................................................................................................... 4

International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion on the Barrier, July 2004 ....... 6

Barrier Facts and Figures ..................................................................................................................8

West Bank Barrier Route Projections, July 2009 ............................................................................9

Official Barrier Route Revisions .....................................................................................................10

The Barrier, Access Restrictions and Fragmentation ..................................................................12

The Barrier and Palestinian Urban Centres: East Jerusalem ...................................................... 13

Case Study: Economic Decline in Ar Ram ......................................................................... 14

The Barrier and Palestinian Urban Centres: Bethlehem ............................................................ 15

Closed Area Communities: Living in the ‘Seam Zone’ ................................................................ 16

Case Study: ‘Azzun ‘Atma ........................................................................................................ 17

Case Study: AClosed Area Wedding ............................................................................................. 17

Closed Area Community Table .................................................................................................. 19

Humanitarian Impact of the Barrier: Restricting Access to Land and Livelihoods ..................... 20

Visitor Permits .......................................................................................................................... 20

Land Registration in the West Bank ............................................ ................................................ 21

Case Study: Decrease in Permit Allocation .............................................................................. 23

Barrier Gates .......................................................................................................................... 24

Case Study: Monitoring the Barrier Gates .............................................................................. 26

Jayyus Case study: dispossession and displacement .................................................................... 28

The UNRegister of Damage (UNRoD) ..................................................................................... 30

The Way Forward .................................................................................................................... 31

Index of Governorate Profiles and Maps .....................................................................................33

Jenin ....................................................................................................................................34

Tulkarm ............................................................................................................................... 36

Qalqiliya ............................................................................................................................... 38

Salfit and The ‘Fingers’ ........................................................................................................... 40

Ramallah .............................................................................................................................. 42

Jerusalem ............................................................................................................................. 44

Bethlehem ............................................................................................................................ 46

Hebron ................................................................................................................................ 48

Endnotes .............................................................................................................................. 50