Agreement on Movement and Access (AMA) – Forty-eighth bi-weekly implementation report (OCHA)

Report No. 48

Implementation of the Agreement on Movement and Access

(5-18 September 2007)

The United Nations¹ is submitting the 48^th bi-weekly report on the implementation of the 15 November 2005 Agreement on Movement and Access (AMA), covering the period 5 – 18 September 2007.

Overall Progress:

There have been no major changes since the previous reporting period. The Rafah and Karni crossings continue to be closed. Only one single-lane conveyor belt at Karni crossing has been open for the entry of grains and animal feed. Sufa and Kerem Shalom crossings continue to function as the principal alternative entry points for commercial and humanitarian supplies. However, Sufa crossing still has no appropriate infrastructure to handle food supplies and concerns are increasing over the way food products are being processed at the crossing.

During the reporting period, 58 truckloads of humanitarian supplies and 735 truckloads of commercial supplies were allowed into Gaza. The total number of imported truckloads (793) has decreased by 33% compared to the previous reporting period (1,183).

Erez crossing was open 11 days out of 14 scheduled days for a limited number of Palestinian senior traders, medical cases and a small number of Palestinians working for international organizations. The crossing has been closed for more than one year and a half (since 12 March 2006) for Palestinian workers.

Changes of note since Report No. 47 (4 September):

• Rafah crossing remained closed and has now been closed for 101 days (last open on 9 June).

• Karni crossing remained closed during the reporting period and has been closed for over three months (since 12 June). A single conveyor belt/chute for entering grains and animal feed was open on three days (6, 11 and 17 September) for an average of 6.5 hours, bringing into Gaza the equivalent of 210 truckloads of grains and animal feed compared with 150 truckloads in the previous period.

• Sufa crossing was open on all 8 scheduled operating days for the entry of commercial and humanitarian supplies. An equivalent of 425 truckloads entered Gaza through Sufa compared to 794 truckloads during the last reporting period. Sufa crossing remains closed for the entry of construction materials.

• Kerem Shalom crossing was open on 5 days during this reporting period for the entry of commercial and humanitarian supplies (compared to 10 days during the previous reporting period). An equivalent of 158 truckloads entered Gaza compared to 239 truckloads during the previous reporting period.

• Erez crossing has been closed since 12 June to all Palestinians, except for a limited number of senior Palestinian traders and Palestinian staff from international organizations who were granted special permits to cross to the West Bank and Israel, and some medical cases.

• Obstacles to movement in the West Bank increased compared to the previous reporting period (from 532 to 563)². This represents an increase of 48 closures since 9 August and 187 (49.7%) over the baseline figure of August 2005.

No Change since Report No. 47 (4 September):

Convoys between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank:

Truck convoys Implementation now 20 months overdue (since mid-January 2006).

Bus convoys Implementation now 21 months overdue (since mid-December 2005).

Agreement on Movement and Access (AMA) – Forty-eighth bi-weekly implementation report (OCHA)

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