Centre On Housing Rights and Evictions Housing Rights

Centre On Housing Rights and Evictions – Housing Rights for Everyone, Everywhere The collapse of Gaza’s water and waste water sector: Grave breaches of international humanitarian law and serious violations of international human rights law Istanbul, March 2009 Lara El-Jazairi COHRE Right to Water Programme www. cohre. org

Centre On Housing Rights and Evictions – Housing Rights for Everyone, Everywhere Operation ‘Cast Lead’: 27 December 2008 – 18 January 2009 www. cohre. org

Centre On Housing Rights and Evictions – Housing Rights for Everyone, Everywhere Humanitarian Crisis • At height of the crisis half a million residents of the Gaza Strip had no access to clean water (a third of the population) • Currently, 50, 000 people remain without access to water through the general network and an additional 100, 000 people receiving water for a few hours every 7 -10 days. • Prices for tankered water have risen to 30 -40 NIS/cubic metre (US $ 7. 5 -10) • Sewage overflowing into residential areas www. cohre. org

Centre On Housing Rights and Evictions – Housing Rights for Everyone, Everywhere Extensive damage to water and waste water infrastructure www. cohre. org

Centre On Housing Rights and Evictions – Housing Rights for Everyone, Everywhere Damage Assessment Coastal Municipality Water Utility: Damage to major WATSAN infrastructure $US 6 million Palestinian Hydrology Group, Needs assessment on the household level conducted in 33 communities: Ø over 6, 000 roof tanks damaged Ø 840 household connections damaged Ø Waste water lines severely damaged in several localities www. cohre. org

Centre On Housing Rights and Evictions – Housing Rights for Everyone, Everywhere Violations of international humanitarian law • Principle of distinction: between military and civilian objects • Prohibition on attacking objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population including drinking water instillations www. cohre. org

Centre On Housing Rights and Evictions – Housing Rights for Everyone, Everywhere The Right to Water and Sanitation All people entitled to: • Safe and sufficient water • Affordable and accessible water and sanitation services and facilities www. cohre. org

Centre On Housing Rights and Evictions – Housing Rights for Everyone, Everywhere Fourth Geneva Convention, Article 59 “If the whole or part of the population of an occupied territory is inadequately supplied, the Occupying Power shall agree to relief schemes on behalf of the said population, and shall facilitate them by all the means at its disposal” www. cohre. org

Centre On Housing Rights and Evictions – Housing Rights for Everyone, Everywhere Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, Article 8 (2) “For the purpose of this Statute, “war crimes” means … Intentionally using starvation of civilians as a method of warfare by depriving them of objects indispensable to their survival, including wilfully impeding relief supplies as provided for under the Geneva Conventions” www. cohre. org

Centre On Housing Rights and Evictions – Housing Rights for Everyone, Everywhere Haya Zourbo, 3 years old, collecting water in Gaza Photo kindly provided by Oxfam International www. cohre. org