International Foundation: Tens of thousands of Palestinians threatened with forced eviction due to the Occupation

A study by Save the Children International Foundation (SCF) reveals that thousands of Palestinian families are threatened with eviction from their homes and places of residence as a result of forced displacement in the Occupied Palestinian Territories pointing out that more than half of these people are children.

A statement issued on Tuesday 27 October by the SCF explains that in addition to the demolition of homes operations and displacement of residents from their homes, the intolerable conditions of life are also pressuring the families into abandoning their land and homes despite the fact that their living conditions often get worse after their displacement.

The study, which included the rural areas of West Bank and the border areas of Gaza Strip, highlights that the inhabitants of these areas endure very poor living conditions starting from the daily shortage of water and food, the rising unemployment rate, family break-downs and division and the inability of children to attend schools.

The research notes that about half the Palestinian population living in the most dangerous areas in the Occupied Palestinian Territories was forcibly displaced from their homes or places of residence since the year 2000; a period that marked an escalation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The study shows that only 37% of the population of the most unsafe areas’ has enough food compared with 70% of those living in other places. Moreover, 92% of families living in the more dangerous areas of the West Bank do not have access to health services while 34% of families residing in other places find them accessible.

The study also points out that only 2% of the families living in the West Bank’s most unsafe areas have access to sanitation services, compared with 61% of families living in the other places. And in Gaza, only 9% of the families living in the border region said they felt secure and protected, compared with 55% of families living in other parts of Gaza Strip.

Save the Children Foundation called upon the Israeli authorities to “put a complete end to all the acts that lead to the forced displacement, including the demolition of Palestinian homes, and to identify a clear strategy in the border areas of Gaza Strip in accordance with its responsibilities and legal obligations to protect the civilians who live under the Occupation Authority.”

Source: Quds Press