UN report: Israel is ‘key cause’ of Palestinian suffering

Israel’s occupation in the West Bank and the blockade of Gaza are the primary cause for Palestinian “humanitarian needs,” according to a UN report released Wednesday.

Published in English, Hebrew and Arabic by the Palestinian branch of the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the report — titled “Fragmented Lives” — bills itself as a “comprehensive overview of the underlying causes or drivers of the humanitarian vulnerabilities in the oPt [occupied Palestinian territory].”

The major cause, the report concludes, is Israel, with occupation policies and practices remaining the key reason for humanitarian needs in the Palestinian territories.

“At its heart, the crisis in the oPt is one of a lack of protection for Palestinian civilians,” said OCHA oPt head David Carden.

“From violence, from displacement, from restrictions on access to services and livelihoods, and from other rights violations – with a disproportionate impact on the most vulnerable, children in particular. While the trends vary from one year to the next, the pervasive lack of protection and accountability for violations of international law remains,” Carden said.

 

Read More: UN report: Israel is ‘key cause’ of Palestinian suffering | The Times of Israel