Amnesty International News & Updates Feed

Victims of Peru Amazon violence deserve justice without discrimination

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:06:33 +0000

The Peruvian authorities must conduct fair and impartial investigations into the deaths of all those killed during violence at a road blockade led by Amazon Indigenous peoples in June, Amnesty International said in a new report.

The organisation urged full investigations into the deaths of 10 Indigenous and local people, alongside those already underway into the killings of 23 police officers during the incident.

At least 200 people were also injured on 5 June after police intervened to end a peaceful protest by thousands of people over the use of land and resources on a road near Bagua in northern Peru.

“Measures must be taken to bring all the alleged perpetrators of these serious abuses to justice and provide reparation to all the victims”, said Guadalupe Marengo, Deputy Americas Director at Amnesty International.

Thousands of Indigenous people had been peacefully blockading the road for over 50 days in protest against new legislation which they claim poses a threat to their livelihood.

The report, Peru: Bagua six months on reveals that while protesters have been detained and charged in connection with the deaths of the police, none of those suspected of involvement in deaths and injuries of protesters have so far been charged

Indigenous leaders have also faced intimidation and harassment from the authorities.

“Harassment and intimidation of Indigenous leaders has to stop and the right of Indigenous Peoples to free, prior and informed consent on any decision which could affect their right to land and resources must be guaranteed”, said Guadalupe Marengo.

During its investigation, Amnesty International spoke to witnesses and relatives of those killed, who revealed new details about the eruption of violence.

One of the individuals that Amnesty International spoke to was Violeta Piitug Wampush, the widow of Felipe Sabio César Sánchez, an Indigenous leader from the small Indigenous community of Wawás and a reporter for a local radio station.

He was shot dead on his way out of Bagua’s hospital, where he had gone to report on Indigenous people killed and injured that day.

“Just as they are acknowledging the police officers [who died on 5 June] as servants of the state, they should acknowledge [my] husband too … [he] fell in defence of the Amazon territory” she told Amnesty International.

Eleven of the 23 police officers were killed while they were held hostage by Indigenous protesters and the whereabouts of one police officer remain unknown.

Flor de María Vásquez, the wife of Comandante Miguel Antón Montenegro Castillo, one of the police officers killed on 5 June, is still waiting for answers to why the police didn’t send more reinforcements to help them.

“This is a situation that could have been avoided beforehand, they could have rescued them, they could have saved them. Why didn’t they get there? That’s the explanation that they haven’t given us,” she told Amnesty International.

In July 2009 Amnesty International visited the towns of Bagua, Bagua Grande, and some of the Indigenous communities who took part in the road blockade and protests.

Amnesty International interviewed relatives of those who died, including relatives of police officers who were killed, as well as protestors, detainees and eye witnesses, and Indigenous and community leaders.

Commonwealth leaders must focus on Sri Lanka crisis

Fri, 27 Nov 2009 16:27:58 +0000

Amnesty International has called on Commonwealth leaders to press the Sri Lankan government about the plight of the displaced.

The organization made the call in an open letter to heads of government attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Trinidad and Tobago this week.

The UK government said on Friday that it will oppose Sri Lanka hosting the next Commonwealth summit because of concerns over its conduct in the conflict and its treatment of refugees.

At least 130,000 people displaced by war and living in government camps in northern Sri Lanka are being denied their basic human rights, including liberty and freedom of movement.

Amnesty International has a global campaign, Unlock the Camps, calling on the Sri Lankan government to end its policy of forcibly confining people to camps, which amounts to arbitrary detention.

In recent weeks the government has speeded up releases from the camps. Amnesty International has welcomed the Sri Lankan government's recent promise to lift any restrictions on movement of at least 130,000 people still unlawfully detained by 1 December.

However, amid reports of some re-arrests following releases from the camps, the organization has called on the Sri Lankan authorities to abide by the principles of international humanitarian law and ensure that displaced people are supported to make voluntary and informed decisions about their future.

The open letter also asked Commonwealth leaders to support calls for greater accountability for abuses of human rights and humanitarian law suffered by Sri Lankan civilians.

Yemeni women face violence and discrimination

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:15:44 +0000

Women in Yemen face systemic discrimination and endemic violence with devastating consequences for their lives, Amnesty International said in a campaign report on Wednesday.

Their rights are routinely violated because Yemeni laws as well as tribal and customary practices treat them as second class citizens.

Women are not free to marry who they want and some are forced to marry when they are children, sometimes as young as eight.

The practice was highlighted last Friday, 20 November, by the UN Committee against Torture, which expressed its concern at the “legality” of early marriages of girls, calling it “inhuman and degrading treatment”.

Once married, a woman must obey her husband and obtain his permission just to leave the house.

Women are valued as half the worth of men when they testify in court or when their families are compensated if they are murdered.

They are also denied equal treatment when it comes to inheritance and are often denied it completely.

Women are dealt with more harshly than men when accused of “immoral” acts, and men are treated leniently when they murder female relatives in “honour killings”.

Such discriminatory laws and practices encourage and facilitate violence against women, which is rife in the home and in society at large.

Despite this, recent years have seen some positive developments for women’s rights, such as the creation of the quasigovernmental National Women’s Committee (NWC) in 1996 and the appointment in 2001 of a minister of state for human rights, which was upgraded to ministerial level in 2003.

The government has also engaged with intergovernmental bodies and reported to the UN committee overseeing the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, to which Yemen is a party.

Most significantly, women themselves have helped to create a vibrant civil society, and women’s non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have achieved some success in some campaigns for reforms. In 2009, for example, the government repealed Article 3(1) of the 1990 Nationality Law to allow children born to a Yemeni mother and a non-Yemeni father to qualify for Yemeni nationality.

However, other reforms are urgently needed. Amnesty International is calling for an end to discriminatory laws and violence against women, adding its voice to the demand of women in Yemen for full and equal access to their human rights.

Women face abuse in Tajikistan

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:22:27 +0000

The authorities in Tajikistan must properly prosecute violence against women as a criminal offence, Amnesty International said in a report published on Tuesday.

Violence is not just a family affair: Women face abuse in Tajikistan, documents the physical, psychological and sexual abuse women face in the family and urges the authorities to address it as the crime it is and not to dismiss it as a "private family matter".

"Women in Tajikistan are beaten, abused, and raped in the family but the authorities tend to reflect the societal attitude of blaming the woman for domestic violence. They see their primary role as mediator, to preserve the family rather than protect the woman and to safeguard their rights," said Andrea Strasser-Camagni, Amnesty International's expert on Tajikistan.

"The traditional Tajik family values, reinforced after the break-up of the Soviet Union, impose further discrimination on women by narrowing their identity to that of wife and mother, or pushing them into the lowest paid sector of the job market."

"By writing off violence against women as a family affair the authorities in Tajikistan are shirking their responsibility to a large part of the population. They are allowing perpetrators of such crimes to act with impunity and, ultimately, denying women their human rights."

Violence against women, and especially in the family, is widespread in Tajikistan. One-third to one-half of women have regularly been subjected to physical, psychological or sexual violence at the hands of their husbands or their in-laws.

Often, Tajik women are economically dependent on their husband's family. They have told Amnesty International that upon setting foot in the in-law's home after marriage they may be subjected to harsh treatment not only from their husbands, but also from their in-laws, and in particular from their mothers-in-law who themselves may have been abused as young brides.

"Women are being treated as servants or as the in-laws' family property. They have no one to turn to as the policy of the authorities is to urge reconciliation which de facto reinforces their position of inferiority. This experience of violence and humiliation in the family makes many women to turn to suicide," Andrea Strasser-Camagni said.

There are insufficient services to protect the survivors of domestic violence, and most of these are provided by internationally funded local non-governmental organizations. The police, judiciary and medical staff are not sufficiently trained to deal with cases of domestic violence.

Education is a key factor in developing girls' empowerment and providing an escape route from violence and poverty. However, girls drop out early from schools; instead, they enter into early and often unregistered or polygamous marriages, all of which increase their dependency on their husbands.

Initial measures undertaken by the Tajikistani government to combat domestic violence have proved largely insufficient.

Although Tajikistan has ratified relevant international human rights treaties, it is falling short of its international obligation to protect and fulfil women's rights.

Amnesty International has called upon the Tajikistani authorities to:

prevent and prosecute violence against women in the family through the introduction of an effective domestic law and nationwide support services;
carry out a nationwide public awareness campaign in order to address the unlawful practices of unregistered, polygamous, and early marriages;
remove all barriers to girls' education and address the root causes of girls dropping out of education.

Haiti government must eradicate child slavery

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:43:34 +0000

Authorities in Haiti must enact legislation to protect children working as domestic help in conditions that amount to slavery, said Amnesty International ahead of Universal Children’s Day.

Amnesty International launched a campaign on Wednesday to press the government in Haiti to enact measures to protect child domestic workers from abuse, ill-treatment and exploitation.

Many Haitian families, too poor to support their children, are forced to send them to work as domestic help. The children -- most of them girls -- end up working long hours cleaning, cooking, fetching water for the whole household and looking after other children in the family.

“Most child domestic workers in Haiti live as virtual slaves,” said Gerardo Ducos, Haiti researcher at Amnesty International. “They work in inhuman conditions, suffering violence and abuse by their hosts, only for a plate of food.”

UNICEF estimated that there were as many as 100,000 girl domestic workers in Haiti in 2007.

Trapped in a situation of total dependence, many girls are compelled to put up with violence and sexual abuse. Some flee the employer or host family and live on the streets where they may have no option but to sell their bodies for sex in order to survive.

15-year-old Régina told Amnesty International that when she was 10, she was sent to work as a domestic servant, but she ran away because the beatings became unbearable. She spent the next four years at Foyer Maurice Sixto, a shelter for children who have been domestic workers. During that time she was able to go to school. When she turned 14, Régina went back home, were she suffered further abuse.

“Girls in Haiti are trapped in a spiral of poverty and violence,” said Gerardo Ducos. ”The eradication of this modern form of slavery is the only way to protect the rights of thousands of children."

Haitian laws do not provide a protective framework for children.

In 2003, the Law for the prohibition and elimination of all kind of abuses, violence and inhuman treatment of children came into force. This law removed a chapter of the Labor Code that regulated the work of children in domestic service but failed to ban the practice of children in domestic service.

The Code had prohibited the “employment” of children under 12 as domestic workers and had provided guarantees that those aged over 15 would receive a salary for their work. The Code required foster families, among other things, to request authorization from the Institute of Social Welfare and Research if they wished to employ a child as domestic worker.

“Ahead of Universal Children’s Day, Haiti should step up its commitment to the protection of girl domestic workers and take concrete steps to improve their situation,” said Gerardo Ducos.

Appeal for action

Protect girls in domestic labour in Haiti

Cairo's poorest risk being buried alive in their homes

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:55:57 +0000

The Egyptian authorities must take immediate and inclusive steps to protect Cairo's poorest inhabitants living in "unsafe areas" where they are at risk from rockslides and other dangers, Amnesty International said in a new report released on Tuesday.

"Thousands of Egypt's poor are trapped by poverty and neglect that could ultimately end in their deaths," said Malcolm Smart, director of Amnesty International's Middle East and North Africa programme.

"The government must urgently address the risks faced by those living in areas designated as 'unsafe' and find solutions by consulting with those directly affected."

Amnesty International's report, Buried Alive; Trapped by Poverty and Neglect in Cairo's Informal Settlements, castigates the Egyptian authorities for failing to take effective steps to protect the residents of Al-Duwayqa, an informal settlement in Manshiyet Nasser in east Cairo, from the fatal rockslide that hit on 6 September 2008.

The report calls on the Egyptian authorities to alleviate the threats to lives in the 26 "unsafe areas" in Greater Cairo, and to protect the residents' rights to health and adequate housing. Even though the risk of a rockslide was well known, the government did not evacuate the impoverished residents before the 2008 disaster.

The authorities say 107 people were killed and 58 injured in the Al-Duwayqa rockslide, but survivors say the toll of casualties was higher and report that many family members are still missing. An official investigation into the rockslide disaster has yet to produce any findings.

"Denied an effective voice and largely ignored by those in power, many residents of Al-Duwayqa, and other 'unsafe areas' continue to live in fear on precarious hillsides or under high voltage power lines because they have nowhere else to go," said Malcolm Smart

Amnesty International called on the Egyptian authorities to investigate thoroughly the reasons why the Al-Duwayqa tragedy was not averted and to take the necessary steps to ensure that there can be no repetition.

"The government must develop a comprehensive programme of action to address the risks faced by those living in 'unsafe areas' and to uphold their rights to life, health and adequate housing," said Malcolm Smart. "In doing so, they must seek the active participation of the affected communities, and they must be prepared to provide temporary housing promptly to people needing to be evacuated because of immediate risks, as well as permanent housing."

After the rockslide, the Egyptian authorities moved quickly to identify other danger areas nearby. They demolished more than one thousand threatened homes and, within a month, rehoused more than 1,750 families - though without giving them legal tenure and leaving them liable to future eviction.

Other families were left homeless and the allocation of housing discriminated against women who were divorced or living apart from their husbands.

Some families were forcibly evicted from Al-Duwayqa and others from Establ Antar, an informal settlement in south Cairo. These evictions were mostly carried out in breach of procedural protections required under international human rights law, often with little warning and backed up by the presence of security forces.

Families from Establ Antar were relocated to a remote area in 6 October City, west of Giza, far from their places of work and were given no legal security of tenure.

"Slum dwellers describe a life characterized by deprivation, neglect, insecurity and the constant threat of forcible eviction," said Malcolm Smart. "The state must guarantee their right to adequate housing and put an end to forced evictions."

Twenty-six areas in Greater Cairo have been identified as "unsafe" by a government master plan to develop the city by 2050, but there appears to have been little or no consultation with the communities that will be affected. Residents of "unsafe areas" face a double threat: lack of safety and possible forced eviction.

"The tragedy in Al-Duwayqa was a disaster waiting to happen. And that was well known," said Malcolm Smart. "More could - more should - have been done to avert it and to prevent the loss of life."

"The Egyptian authorities owe it to both the victims and those who survived that awful morning, just as they owe it to others at risk, to ensure that there is no repetition and that the tragedy of Al-Duwayqa is not played out again in any of Cairo's other 'unsafe areas'. Egypt's poor should not have to live any longer with the threat of being buried alive."

Over a billion people throughout the world live in slums, and this number is increasing. As part of its Demand Dignity campaign, launched in May this year, Amnesty International is calling for governments globally to provide adequate housing for its residents.

Amnesty International's Demand Dignity campaign aims to end the human rights violations that drive and deepen global poverty. The campaign is mobilizing people all over the world to demand that governments, corporations and others who have power, listen to the voices of those living in poverty and recognise and protect their rights.

Appeal for action
Protect residents of Cairo living in 'unsafe areas'

No justice for grieving victims of police killings in Mozambique

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:02:14 +0000

Amnesty International has urged the authorities in Mozambique to properly investigate and prosecute police officers suspected of unlawful killings, with families continually obstructed from getting justice over the deaths of their relatives.

In a report released today, ‘I can’t believe in justice anymore’: Obstacles to justice for unlawful killings by police in Mozambique, the organization called on the government to make it clear to all members of the police that excessive use of force and unlawful killings will not be tolerated.

Since January 2006, at least 46 people have been unlawfully killed by the police in Mozambique.

Amnesty International also called on the authorities to ensure that families receive proper compensation for their loss.

“The families of victims face almost insurmountable challenges and only the most persistent and well-off have been able to get some small measure of justice. Most others are left without any justice for the loss of their loved ones,” said Erwin van der Borght, Director of Amnesty International’s Africa Programme.

“Even worse, the government seems to have permitted and even encouraged a number of obstacles to be put in the way of victims’ families as they sought justice.”

Despite repeated requests, the authorities have provided Amnesty International with very little information into investigations into police killings in Mozambique, including during visits to the country. In some cases, Amnesty International was told that investigations were not carried out because the killing was presumed to be lawful.

International standards require an effective investigation be carried out into all cases of death or serious injury as a result of use of force or firearms by the police.

Chimène Costa, partner of Augusto Cuvilas, a dancer and choreographer shot and killed by the police in December 2007, told Amnesty International, “I can't believe in justice any more. I am not informed. There is no respect ... They just want us to forget. If you do not have money to pay nothing happens…”.

Lawyers, journalists and human rights activists in Mozambique have all told Amnesty International that the police tend to “protect their own” and that this is one of the main obstacles to bringing police officers to justice.

“The apparent unwillingness of the police to conduct effective investigations into all killings by police, the failure of superior officers to identify police suspected of serious human rights violations, and the tendency of police to protect other officers all contribute to the lack of justice in these cases,” said Erwin van der Borght.

In its report, the organization called on the government to ensure that there are thorough, prompt and impartial investigations into all cases of police force that results in death or serious injury, and that the officers responsible are brought to justice. Families of those killed must also receive adequate reparation.

Other recommendations put forward in the report include that:

- police have access to alternative means to deal with potentially violent situations, so that force used is proportional;
- police are trained in techniques to lower tensions and avoid the use of force unless strictly necessary;
- autopsies are automatically carried out immediately in all cases of death resulting from police force or use of firearms;
- complainants, witnesses, lawyers, judges and others involved in the investigation of police actions are protected from intimidation and reprisals.

Fair trials needed in Bangladesh to ensure justice for victims of mutiny

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:12:26 +0000

The Bangladesh government must ensure justice for the victims of the February 2009 Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) mutiny by ensuring that all suspects receive a fair trial, Amnesty International said in a report released on Thursday.

Looking for Justice: Mutineers on trial in Bangladesh carries testimony from family members of BDR personnel accused of participating in the mutiny. These reports suggest that scores, possibly hundreds of BDR personnel had suffered torture, for possible involvement in the mutiny. Nearly all were denied the opportunity to seek the assistance of a lawyer for weeks or months.

Amnesty International condemned the unlawful killings, hostage taking and other human rights abuses committed during the mutiny and called for the perpetrators to be brought to justice.

The organization said that the government of Bangladesh has an opportunity to reinforce trust in the rule of law by ensuring the civilian courts, which will be trying the accused, deliver justice.

"The mutiny was brutal and led to the killing of civilians, and army officers who died in horrific circumstances. It's vital that the government of Bangladesh brings the perpetrators of these crimes to justice in a manner that is compatible with international law,” said Abbas Faiz, Amnesty International’s Bangladesh Researcher.

Large scale mutiny broke out at the BDR headquarters in Dhaka on 25 February 2009 just two months after the newly elected government of Bangladesh took office. It quickly spread to BDR barracks across the country and mutineers killed at least 74 people, including six civilians and 57 army officers, one army soldier and nine Jawans (lowest BDR rank). It was 33 hours before the government was able to negotiate an end to the mutiny.

To date, the only publicly available official investigation has failed to establish the actual causes of the mutiny. Bangladeshi newspapers reported that BDR personnel mutinied because of grievances over pay and conditions. Some government officials allege it was a conspiracy to unseat the newly elected government.

Following the mutiny, thousands of BDR personnel were confined to barracks and denied all contact with the outside world. Reports soon emerged as family members began to meet the detainees, alleging that scores, possibly hundreds of BDR personnel had suffered human rights violations, including torture, for possible involvement in the mutiny.

Amnesty International's report documents the methods of torture used including depriving suspects of sleep over a number of days, subjecting suspects to beatings and the use of pliers to crush testicles, inserting needles under suspect’s nails and administering electric shocks.

"The reports of torture that Amnesty International has received are consistent with the previously documented torture and ill treatment of detainees in Bangladesh. It's not good enough for the authorities to deny that torture isn't taking place. There needs to be greater accountability on this issue." said Abbas Faiz.

At least 20 BDR personnel died in custody between 9 March and 6 May 2009 alone. BDR sources claimed that four of them committed suicide, seven died of heart attacks and another nine died from diseases. By 10 October 2009, the total number of BDR Personnel who have died in custody has risen to 48.

Amnesty International has welcomed the Supreme Court's clarification that army courts martial have no jurisdiction to try BDR personnel accused of mass killings and other criminal offences during the February 2009 mutiny.

The organization said that the government must also reconsider its decision to use the Speedy Trial Tribunal because the time limit these courts impose for the completion of the trial may lead to a miscarriage of justice.

Amnesty International urged the government of Bangladesh to ensure that:

those suspected of committing crimes must be brought to justice under internationally recognized fair trial standards which include the right to family visits and access to lawyers;
all allegations of torture must be investigated and the perpetrators brought to justice in fair trials. Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases, regardless of the nature of the crime, and urges the Bangladeshi authorities not to seek the death penalty;
it examines the capacity of the judicial system and if necessary seeks assistance from relevant international bodies, to ensure that the criminal justice system has the competencies and resources – and the judges have the necessary training to conduct the trails of such a large number of BDR defendants in accordance with the international standards of fair trail;
Bangladesh should ratify the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and designate or establish National Preventive Mechanisms in accordance with the Protocol.

Spain must investigate torture allegations

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:12:23 +0000

Spanish authorities need to reform the current system of investigating allegations of torture and other ill-treatment from security forces, Amnesty International said on Tuesday in a new report published as the UN prepares to examine Spain’s record on the issue.

Spain: Adding insult to injury – police impunity two years on reveals that victims alleging torture and other ill-treatment whose cases Amnesty International first reported on in 2007 have failed to receive justice due to lack of political will on the part of the Spanish authorities to confront torture and other ill-treatment by security forces.

“The structural failings affecting all aspects of the prevention, investigation and punishment of torture and other ill-treatment that Amnesty International identified in 2007 are still present, and still obstructing justice,” said Rachel Taylor, Amnesty International’s Spain expert.

Complainants told Amnesty International that they had been threatened with a gun or knife, whipped on the soles of their feet, and received death threats from police officers.

Since November 2007 only two open investigations into allegations of torture and other ill-treatment from the 11 reported by Amnesty International have resulted in a conviction.

Of the remaining nine cases, six were closed without ever reaching trial and two are still under investigation, one of which has now been open for more than seven years.

In the last case, it was found at trial that torture had taken place but the accused officers were all acquitted on the grounds that it was not possible to identify which of them had personally participated in the assault.

One of the cases which failed to reach trial stage in Spain has been submitted to the European Court of Human Rights on the grounds of violation of a right to fair trial, as well as violation of the prohibition of torture and non-discrimination. Two other closed cases are those of Sandra Guzman and Jordi Vilaseca.

Sandra Guzman registered a complaint in December 2006 at the Basque Department of the Interior after she witnessed a police officer partially strip search, hit and kick several men of North African origin in Bilbao. Her complaint was closed six months later supposedly because it had been impossible to locate the men who had allegedly been assaulted by the police officers.

Jordi Vilaseca was arrested on 1 April 2003 by autonomous regional police officers in Catalonia while driving home from work. After ill-treatment during his three days in detention, he lost consciousness and was hospitalised. When he regained consciousness, he was unable to speak, walk or control his bowels. Jordi Vilaseca made a complaint against the police for torture. In May 2005 the case was closed on the grounds of lack of evidence and because the prosecutor said there were contradictory versions of events from the complainant and the accused. After several appeals, the Constitutional Court rejected the case in January 2009. No further appeal is possible.

“The Spanish authorities must stop shirking their obligation to conduct thorough, impartial and effective investigations into all allegations of torture or other ill-treatment by police officers. At the same time they should focus on prevention of such acts, which is always better than cure” Rachel Taylor said.

Amnesty International welcomes progress made in some police forces to implement measures designed to prevent acts or torture and other ill-treatment.

The increasing use of CCTV cameras in police stations and clear personal identification of police officers on their uniforms are important developments in this regard. Amnesty International regrets to note that significant improvements in autonomous community police forces (the Ertzaintza and Mossos d’Esquadra) have not been matched at national level.

“Unless the Spanish authorities demonstrate political will to make the necessary changes to ensure effective and impartial investigation of all allegations of torture and other ill-treatment by law enforcement officials, their victims will continue to face obstacles on their way to justice,” Rachel Taylor said.

Israel rations Palestinians to trickle of water

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 17:28:42 +0000

Amnesty International has accused Israel of denying Palestinians the right to access adequate water by maintaining total control over the shared water resources and pursuing discriminatory policies.

These unreasonably restrict the availability of water in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) and prevent the Palestinians developing an effective water infrastructure there.

“Israel allows the Palestinians access to only a fraction of the shared water resources, which lie mostly in the occupied West Bank, while the unlawful Israeli settlements there receive virtually unlimited supplies. In Gaza the Israeli blockade has made an already dire situation worse,” said Donatella Rovera, Amnesty International’s researcher on Israel and the OPT.

In a new extensive report, Amnesty International revealed the extent to which Israel’s discriminatory water policies and practices are denying Palestinians their right to access to water.

Israel uses more than 80 per cent of the water from the Mountain Aquifer, the main source of underground water in Israel and the OPT, while restricting Palestinian access to a mere 20 per cent.

The Mountain Aquifer is the only source for water for Palestinians in the West Bank, but only one of several for Israel, which also takes for itself all the water available from the Jordan River.

While Palestinian daily water consumption barely reaches 70 litres a day per person, Israeli daily consumption is more than 300 litres per day, four times as much.

In some rural communities Palestinians survive on barely 20 litres per day, the minimum amount recommended for domestic use in emergency situations.

Some 180,000-200,000 Palestinians living in rural communities have no access to running water and the Israeli army often prevents them from even collecting rainwater.

In contrast, Israeli settlers, who live in the West Bank in violation of international law, have intensive-irrigation farms, lush gardens and swimming pools.

Numbering about 450,000, the settlers use as much or more water than the Palestinian population of some 2.3 million.

In the Gaza Strip, 90 to 95 per cent of the water from its only water resource, the Coastal Aquifer, is contaminated and unfit for human consumption. Yet, Israel does not allow the transfer of water from the Mountain Aquifer in the West Bank to Gaza.

Stringent restrictions imposed in recent years by Israel on the entry into Gaza of material and equipment necessary for the development and repair of infrastructure have caused further deterioration of the water and sanitation situation in Gaza, which has reached crisis point.

To cope with water shortages and lack of network supplies many Palestinians have to purchase water, of often dubious quality, from mobile water tankers at a much higher price.

Others resort to water-saving measures which are detrimental to their and their families’ health and which hinder socio-economic development.

“Over more than 40 years of occupation, restrictions imposed by Israel on the Palestinians’ access to water have prevented the development of water infrastructure and facilities in the OPT, consequently denying hundreds of thousand of Palestinians the right to live a normal life, to have adequate food, housing, or health, and to economic development,” said Donatella Rovera.

Israel has appropriated large areas of the water-rich Palestinian land it occupies and barred Palestinians from accessing them.

It has also imposed a complex system of permits which the Palestinians must obtain from the Israeli army and other authorities in order to carry out water-related projects in the OPT. Applications for such permits are often rejected or subject to long delays.

Restrictions imposed by Israel on the movement of people and goods in the OPT further compound the difficulties Palestinians face when trying to carry out water and sanitation projects, or even just to distribute small quantities of water.

Water tankers are forced to take long detours to avoid Israeli military checkpoints and roads which are out of bounds to Palestinians, resulting in steep increases in the price of water.

In rural areas, Palestinian villagers are continuously struggling to find enough water for their basic needs, as the Israeli army often destroys their rainwater harvesting cisterns and confiscates their water tankers.

In comparison, irrigation sprinklers water the fields in the midday sun in nearby Israeli settlements, where much water is wasted as it evaporates before even reaching the ground.

In some Palestinian villages, because their access to water has been so severely restricted, farmers are unable to cultivate the land, or even to grow small amounts of food for their personal consumption or for animal fodder, and have thus been forced to reduce the size of their herds.

“Water is a basic need and a right, but for many Palestinians obtaining even poor-quality subsistence-level quantities of water has become a luxury that they can barely afford,” said Donatella Rovera.

“Israel must end its discriminatory policies, immediately lift all the restrictions it imposes on Palestinians’ access to water, and take responsibility for addressing the problems it created by allowing Palestinians a fair share of the shared water resources.”

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The day the bulldozers came... (Feature, 27 October 2009)