Agreement on Movement and Access (AMA) – Thirty-ninth bi-weekly implementation report (OCHA)

Report No. 39

Implementation of the Agreement on Movement and Access

(2 – 15 May 2007)

The United Nations¹ is submitting the 39^th bi-weekly report on the implementation of the 15 November 2005 Agreement on Movement and Access (AMA), covering the period 2 -15 May 2007.²

1. Overall Progress:

Rafah crossing was open for 4 out of 14 scheduled days (the same number of days as the previous period) or 21% of scheduled operating hours; Karni was open on 11 scheduled operating days or in total 56% of scheduled operating hours (compared to 72% in the previous reporting period). The drop in percentage of time open was largely due to the crossing being closed completely on one day.

2. Changes of note since Report No. 39 (1 May):

• Rafah crossing was open on 4 days allowing a total of 4,391 people to cross into the Gaza Strip and 5,138 people out. In addition, on 15 May Rafah was opened for six hours to allow the exclusive crossing of PA National Security Forces members returning from training in Egypt.³

• Karni crossing was open on 11 out of 12 scheduled operating days⁴ enabling a total of 2,848 truckloads of imported goods (excluding aggregates/construction materials) into the Gaza Strip. A total of 380 truckloads of goods were exported during the reporting period (a daily average of 32

truckloads), representing on average 8% of the 400 truckloads of exported goods per day target set under the AMA.

• Sufa crossing was open for 9 out of 10 scheduled operating days⁵ during the reporting period compared to 4 days during the previous period.

• Kerem Shalom crossing was open on 2 days (compared to one day in the previous period) for the import of humanitarian supplies.

• Erez crossing remains closed since 12 March 2006 for Palestinian workers. However, it remained partially open for the movement of traders and humanitarian (medical) cases throughout the reporting period. On average, 331 traders crossed each day compared to 284 in the previous reporting period.

• Obstacles to movement in the West Bank has increased compare to the previous reporting (from 537 to 549). Overall this represents an increase of 173 obstacles or 46% over the baseline figure of August 2005.

3. No Change since Report No. 38 (1 May):

There was one reported security incident at Rafah crossing during the period. On 3 May an exchange of fire occurred between the Presidential Guard and the PA Intelligence Forces near the main gate of Rafah terminal which forced the crossing to close during the incident.

Convoys between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank:

Ports:

¹The Office of the Quartet’s Special Envoy closed on 28 April. Since then the United Nations through the oPt OCHA office has assumed reporting

responsibilities on the implementation of the AMA.

² The report draws on all available data sources for reporting including the EU-BAM, UN agencies, PA ministries, PalTrade, COGAT and the World Bank.

³ This day is counted as a closure day as it was not opened for the regular movement of travellers. The movement for these persons through the crossing point is not included in the calculations of movement.

⁴ On 15 May the crossing was closed at the request of the Palestinian authorities due to the internal security situation.

⁵ On 15 May the crossing was closed at the request of the Palestinian authorities due to the internal security situation.

FULL REPORT: