Humanitarian Fact Sheet on Area C of the West Bank

Area C Fast Facts:

- Over 60 percent of the West Bank is considered Area C, where Israel retains control over security, planning and zoning.

- An estimated 150,000 Palestinians live in Area C, including 27,500 Bedouin and other herders.

- 55% of Bedouin / herding communities are food insecure.

- More than 20% of communities in Area C have extremely limited access to health services.

- Water consumption dips to 20 litres/capita/day (l/c/d) in communities without water infrastructure, one-fifth of the World Health Organisation’s recommendation.

- Communities depending on tankered water pay up to 400% more for every liter than those connected to the water network.

- 70% of Area C is off-limits to Palestinian construction; 29% is heavily restricted.

- Less than 1% of Area C has been planned for Palestinian development by the Israeli Civil Administration.

- 342 Palestinian-owned structures, including 125 residential structures and 20 rainwater collection cisterns, were demolished by the Israeli authorities in the first half of 2011.

- 656 people, including 351 children, lost their homes in the first half of 2011, almost five times more than within the same period last year. One-third of these people were displaced in June 2011 alone.

- Over 3,000 demolition orders are outstanding, including 18 targeting schools.

- The planned expansion area of the around135 Israeli settlements in Area C is 9 times larger than their built-up area. (B’Tselem). Approximately 300,000 settlers currently live in Area C.

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Click here to download: Humanitarian Fact Sheet on Area C of the West Bank    (2 pages, 559 KB)

Source: UN-Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs occupied Palestinian territory, July 2011