“Fragmented Lives” is the title chosen by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the occupied Palestinian territory (OCHAoPt) for its annual report on the ramifications suffered by Palestinian civilians as a result of Israel’s human rights violations. The foreword, however, makes it clear that the purpose is “to provide a trend analysis of some of the key indicators underlying humanitarian vulnerabilities in the oPt in a given year.”
Ultimately, Palestinians are not going to benefit from this report, which has managed to make news by stating the obvious and refusing to affirm that colonisation is the primary reason for Palestinian subjugation. To make matters worse, the report states:
Israel’s occupation is a key driver of humanitarian need, to which the international community responds.
This attitude is partly to blame for maintaining Israel’s military occupation, which is also a derivative of colonisation and not the main feature of the oppression inflicted upon Palestinians.
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According to the report, two million Palestinians were in need of humanitarian assistance by the end of 2016, leading to the 2017 Humanitarian Response Plan’s appeal for $547million, which is a paltry sum when considering the billions which Israel receives in military aid. The discrepancy should already be an indicator of erroneous judgement. To continue its colonisation process and, as a result, its military occupation, Israel not only benefits from US military aid, but also from ties with the international community which is partial to purchasing its surveillance technology. Meanwhile, the same international community forks out a meagre sum in contribution to humanitarian aid in response to the perpetual damage, displacement and dispossession which is directly funded by the donors.
Meanwhile, the main trends discussed in the report: life, liberty and security; forced displacement, movement and access restrictions, as well as humanitarian space all point to a stealthy decline in Palestinian rights which is not being addressed. In Gaza, 47,000 people are still displaced as a consequence of “Operation Protective Edge”. The occupied West Bank also saw the highest number of demolitions and displacement in 2016; 1,601 people, including 759 children, are displaced. Donated structures destroyed by Israel peaked at 300 in 2016 from 108 in 2015. The monthly average number of Palestinians detained on security grounds was also highest in 2016. Although only a few insights into the statistical detail conveyed in the report, it is enough to see why the “humanitarian” premise elicits preference over acknowledging the political violence which induces the humanitarian consequences.
Vulnerability has become associated with Palestinians through international discourse which is concerned with upholding the Israeli narrative while managing a façade of concern. The trend is unfortunately set to continue, in particular the restriction of options for Palestinians from the international community due to its role being primarily a facilitator of the dependency cycle. While statistically informative, such reports automatically elicit many questions, particularly the reason behind disseminating the impact of colonialism and shying away from an adamant assertion, as well as the purpose, if any, of such reports. If accessible information is what OCHA is after, it has completed its task with limited vision as the necessary and known action that must be taken is still absconding from discourse and, as a result, from achievement.
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