Assistance to the Palestinian people – Emergency report on OPT – WFP report (excerpts)

WFP Emergency Report No. 35 of 2002

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F) Middle East Region: Palestinian Territories 

1) Palestinian Territories 

(a) WFP's ability to distribute food in the city of Nablus has been disrupted by the curfew with a break of only 58 hours in the last 65 days. On 17 August, when the Israeli Army lifted the curfew in Nablus for 5 hours, WFP food was distributed to 600 families. Some basic food commodities are beginning to run short in the market, particularly dairy products. Tulkarem is also under strict curfew, though this was lifted twice during the past week. All the northern governorates are subject to curfew during the night.

(b) Expectations of improvement of the living condition of Palestinians have been raised after the announcement of the "Gaza and Bethlehem First" agreement between Israelis and Palestinians. However, nothing has changed in terms of releasing the tight checkpoints and closures imposed on Palestinians except in providing travel permits to some Palestinian workers and businessmen to get into Israel.

(c) In Gaza, WFP food monitors and staff visited isolated areas near settlements and checkpoints, where the IDF have demolished Palestinian houses and agricultural lands and reported on the difficult living conditions faced by the affected families who have no source of income and minimum assistance to survive. Food monitors report that the majority of WFP beneficiaries who come to collect their ration at the Ministry of Social Affairs (MSA) distribution centres are women aged between 25-40 years old and women who participate in FFW activities are aged 18 to 50 years old.

(d) Distributions have started in Gaza main MSA warehouse and Jablia newly rented MSA warehouses to 19,675 families representing 98,375 beneficiaries. WFP distributed 1370 tons of food to beneficiaries in Gaza City and northern areas of Gaza during the July allocation.

(e) Distribution to MSA beneficiaries in Northern areas of Gaza took place for the first time in a newly rented warehouse in Beit Lahia. Previously, beneficiaries living in the Northern areas of Gaza, who make up 17.9 percent of total MSA beneficiaries, used to come to MSA's main warehouses in Gaza City to collect their food ration. The distribution plan for MSA beneficiaries in the remaining areas of the Gaza Strip will be finalized as soon as the delivery of MSA balance of July allocation is completed.

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