New figures indicate an estimated 300,000 Palestinians reside in Area C of the West Bank
Jerusalem, 5 March 2014
Today, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) released new information relating to affected populations in Area C of the West Bank.
According to data from an inter-agency humanitarian profiling exercise, the Vulnerability Profile Project (VPP), an estimated 300,000 Palestinians reside in hundreds of residential areas located in Area C, the over 60 per cent of the West Bank that remains under the near complete control of Israel.
“Residents of Area C are among the most vulnerable in the West Bank in terms of humanitarian needs, including access to basic services,” said Ramesh Rajasingham, Head of the OCHA office in the oPt. “While Area C has been a priority area for humanitarian assistance in recent years, our picture of what is happening to Palestinians there has been incomplete due to a lack of data. The VPP is an attempt to better understand the situation,” Mr. Rajasingham continued.
The VPP provides the most comprehensive information available to date on Area C, including issues related to physical protection, access to land and livelihoods, water and sanitation, education and health.
Partners in the VPP have included the State of Palestine Ministry of Local Government and members of the Humanitarian Country Team, the coordinating body of actors providing humanitarian assistance in the oPt.
ENDS
For the newly released data, see OCHA oPt publication “In the Spotlight: Area C Vulnerability Profile”
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For more information, please contact: Hayat Abu Saleh, Communications and Information Analyst, 054 33 11 816