Tens of thousands of Palestinians without water for over a month

Some 55,000 Palestinians in the Shuafat refugee camp and the neighbourhoods of Ras El-Khaimah, Ras Shehadeh, Al-Awqaf and Daheyet As-Salam in East Jerusalem have had no water for over a month after the Israeli Gihon water company cut off the water supply without notice.

Coordinator of the National Committee to Resist Judaisation Khader Dibs told the Saffa news site today that the water crisis is worsening by the day and could lead to the spread of diseases and that the residents are forced to buy water tanks to meet their needs.

“The Israeli government practices organised terrorism against the Palestinian people in general and against Jerusalemites in particular to force them to leave the city for settlers and since Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came to power he has been exercising racism, murder and destruction of the Palestinians rights,” Dibs said.

Dibs pointed out that the Israeli government is obliged to provide water to the camps’ residents according to an agreement signed with UNRWA but Israel has been evading its obligations.

He said residents had petitioned the Israeli High Court in Jerusalem which ordered the Jerusalem municipality and Gihon Company to resolve the crisis within 60 days. “We will not be intimidated by the occupation’s practices and we will not leave our homes to strangers. We have many choices to gain our rights and end our people’s suffering,” Dibs said.

A member of Shuafat’s People Committee, Abdul Karim Shlodi, told Saffa that the residents will resort to the international courts if necessary to deal with their suffering and pointed out that the Association for Civil Rights is pursuing the case in the Israeli courts.

Shlodi demanded the UN Relief and Work Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) assume its role and end their suffering.

The Israeli Knesset ordered the Israeli Ministry of Water and Gihon Company in March to resolve the water problem and to provide water tanks to the affected residents until the water crisis is fully resolved.

Chairman of Ras Khamis neighbourhood Development Committee Jameel Sandooqa demanded at the time Gihon Company to return the water supply to the neighbourhoods’ residents .