Palestine

Casualties Overview

In the State of Palestine, 27 ERW casualties were recorded in 2013. All recorded casualties were civilians and more than 85% of them were children (23); Of the 27 casualties that occurred in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) in 2013, 26 were recorded in Gaza and one in the West Bank.[1]

The Palestinian Mine Action Center (PMAC), which was newly reestablished in 2012 and collected information on incidents in the West Bank, managed casualty data updates during 2013.[2] UNMAS Palestine collected and managed casualty data updates for the Gaza Strip.[3]

The 2013 data represented a decrease from the 49 ERW casualties identified in 2012 and from the 35 casualties in 2012.[4] This was similar to the 24 casualties in 2010 but was still significantly lower than the 46 casualties reported for 2009 following Operation Cast Lead.[5]

The total number of mine/ERW casualties in the OPT is not known; at least 3,475 casualties had been reported by the end of 2013. Defense for Children International Palestine (DCI/PS) recorded more than 2,500 mine/ERW casualties occurring between 1967 and 1998.[6] Between 2000 and the end of 2012, the Monitor identified 975 casualties (153 killed; 809 injured; and 13 unknown).[7]

Victim Assistance

There were at least 1,129 mine/ERW survivors in the OPT.[8]

In 2013, with a view to strengthen victim assistance support and services, UNMAS,with the participation of the PMAC, started to conduct a victim assistance assessment in both Gaza and the West Bank in order to identify existing services and needs in these areas and to define PMAC’s role.[9]

Palestine reported that there was no specific strategic framework for victim assistance in place in the OPT. Mine/ERW survivors received the same support as other persons with disabilities. This support is under the responsibility of the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Social Affairs. OPT legislation provides for the provision of health and social insurance, economic opportunities, and equality for persons with disabilities. The newly established PMAC intended to work with partners to establish specific referral and medical assistance mechanisms for mine/ERW survivors and to advise the Palestinian Authority on adapting legislation accordingly.[10]

In 2013, the Ministry of Health continued to be responsible for the rehabilitation sector in the Gaza Strip.[11] Assistance for persons with physical disabilities was reliant on the efforts of UN agencies and NGOs.[12] The International Coordination Department (ICD) coordinates the cooperation between the ministry and international organizations working in the field of physical rehabilitation in the Gaza Strip.[13]

In 2013, it was reported that conditions for persons with disabilities in the Gaza Strip continued to deteriorate due to tightened restrictions on the freedom of movement, shortage of fuel and power supplies, medicines, and medical supplies, including assistive devices. Organizations providing care and rehabilitation for persons with disabilities were also affected by daily electricity outages.[14]

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that, following the destruction in Gaza caused by 50 days of conflict in mid-2014 code-named “Operation Protective Edge,” massive reconstruction was needed and an ambitious recovery plan was launched. However, reconstruction was prevented by pre-existing restrictions on materials needed to re-build homes, schools, and hospitals as well as to repair roads and electricity lines; water and sanitation networks need to be lifted to restore the local economy and social service. OCHA reported that, as the occupying power, “Israel is responsible for ensuring that the basic needs of Palestinians are met.”[15]

In August 2014, Handicap International deployed teams throughout Gaza to locate people with disabilities and injuries in order to address their most urgent needs.[16]

The ICRC, with the support of the Norwegian Red Cross, continued to support the Artificial Limbs and Polio Center (ALPC), managed by the Municipality of Gaza, which is the only center of its kind in Gaza that provides prosthetic and orthotic services to all.[17] In 2013, the ALPC managed to clear its waiting lists and at the end of the year prostheses and orthoses could be delivered within 2–4 weeks compared to 12–18 months previously.[18]

ITF Enhancing Human Security continued to provide rehabilitation at facilities in Slovenia to child victims of conflict from Gaza in 2013.[19]

The Palestine Trauma Centre in Gaza offered support from psychologists, psychiatrists, and specialist trauma counselors.[20]

The Palestinian Disability Law was ratified in 1999, but NGOs complained of very slow implementation. It does not mandate access to buildings, information, or communications, although the UN Relief and Works Agency’s (UNRWA) policy was to provide accessibility in all new structures. Palestinians with disabilities continued to receive uneven and poor quality services and care.[21]