Agreement on Movement and Access (AMA) – Seventy-eighth biweekly implementation report (OCHA)

Report No. 78

Implementation of the Agreement on Movement and Access

and Update on Gaza Crossings

(29 October – 11 November 08)

The United Nations is submitting the 78^th  bi-weekly report on the implementation of the 15 November 2005 Agreement on Movement and Access (AMA)¹, covering the period 29 Oct – 11 Nov 08 (Annex)². In light of the closure of Gaza, this report also monitors movement and access through other crossings not included in the AMA.

Summary:

AMA Benchmarks:

• Rafah crossing remains closed for the movement of people for 521 working days. It was last open on 09 June 2007. However, the crossing was exceptionally and partially opened on eight days during the reporting period, allowing 3,467 Palestinians, including many pilgrims, to cross into Gaza, and 804 others, including students and medical cases, to cross out.

• Karni crossing remains closed since 12 June 2007 for the movement of goods in and out of Gaza. The conveyor belt/chute for cereals, animal feed and gravel was open on four days (29, 30 Oct, 03, 04 November) including one day in which the bulk cement lane was also open compared to five days in the previous reporting period. A total of 309 truckloads of cereals, animal feed, and bulk cement entered Gaza, via the two lanes, compared to 693 in the previous reporting period. No gravel, for the construction industry, was allowed entry during this period.

• Erez crossing has remained closed for more than two years since March 2006 for workers, and more than a year, since 12 June 2007, for all other Palestinians, except for a limited number of Palestinian traders, aid workers and medical cases who have been granted special permits. For these persons, Erez crossing was partially open on 12 out of the 14 scheduled days. A daily average of 7 traders and 21 medical cases were allowed to cross.

• Obstacles to movement in the West Bank has increased from 625 reported during the previous reporting period to 629. Overall, the figure of 629 represents an increase of 253 obstacles (67.3%) over the baseline figure (376) of August 2005.

• Convoys between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank:

• Ports:

Non-AMA Crossings:

• Sufa crossing was not opened during the whole reporting period. It was last opened on 12 Sept 08.

• Kerem Shalom crossing was open on 6 days compared to 11 days during the previous reporting period.

A total of 370 truckloads including 49 for humanitarian aid agencies were allowed in, compared to 689.5 during the previous reporting period.

• Nahal Oz crossing was open on 6 out of 12 scheduled days compared to 8 days during the previous reporting period. 174,310 liters of petrol (29,051 lit/open day), 284,410 liters of diesel (47,410 lit/open day), 956 tonnes of cooking gas (159 tonnes/open day) and 1,310,030 liters of industrial gas for the power plant (218,338 lit/open day) were allowed entry.

• Of note: Overall, 679 truckloads, including 49 truckloads from humanitarian agencies, were allowed entry to Gaza during this period, compared to 1,382.5 truckloads allowed in during the previous reporting period.

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1 The United Nations, through the OCHA oPt office, has assumed reporting responsibilities for reporting on the implementation of the AMA since April 2006.

2 The AMA was negotiated by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, between the Government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority to promote peaceful economic development and improve the humanitarian situation on the ground. It represents the commitments of both the Government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority to facilitate access and movement into/out and throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

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Phone: +972 (0)2 5829962 / 5825853 | Fax: +972 (0)2 5825841

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