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

Report No 31

Implementation of the Agreement on Movement and Access

(10 – 23 January 2007)

The United Nations¹ is submitting the 31st bi-weekly report on the implementation of the 15 November 2005 Agreement on Movement and Access (AMA), covering the period 10 – 23 January 2007 inclusive.²

1. Overall Progress:

Rafah crossing continues to fail to operate continuously: opening hours are extremely restricted and erratic. Karni crossing continues to operate on all scheduled days but for only half the scheduled hours and not at full capacity (not all bays are used); consequently the quantity of exported goods remains at only 12% of the target set in the AMA. Erez crossing operates well for the limited number of senior traders with permits but remains closed to all Palestinian workers.

2. Changes of note since Report No 30 (9 January):

• Rafah crossing was open on only 2 days allowing a total of 2,746 people to cross into the Gaza Strip but no people out. Rafah was open for 11% of scheduled hours compared to 49% during the previous period.

• Karni crossing was open on all 12 scheduled operating days enabling a total of 2,671 truckloads of goods into (a 15% decrease on reporting period 30) and 491 truckloads of goods out (a 4% increase) of the Gaza Strip. In addition 2,004 truckloads of aggregates were imported.³  Karni was open for 46% of scheduled hours compared to 49% during the previous period.

• Sufa crossing was open all 12 scheduled working days for the transport of aggregates.

• Kerem Shalom crossing was open on 3 days.

• Erez crossing remains closed to all Palestinians except traders holding special permits and emergency humanitarian cases. An average of 253 traders are crossing Erez each day, up from 168 last period.

• There were no reported security incidents in the areas of the crossings during the period.

3. No Change since Report No 30 (9 January):

• Obstacles to movement in the West Bank remained at 527. This represents an increase of 165 or 40% over the baseline figure of August 2005.

Convoys between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank:

Ports:

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¹ The 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 Aggregates are construction materials that are primarily moved through Sufa crossing.

FULL REPORT: