The Humanitarian Monitor | Dec 2009

As the year of 2009 comes to a close, large segments of the Palestinian civilian population in the oPt, in particular those living in the Gaza Strip and in Area C of the West Bank and in East Jerusalem, continue to endure a serious crisis of human dignity. The Israeli-imposed blockade continues to hinder reconstruction in Gaza. As of the end of the year, some 20,000 Gazans remain displaced. Some 60 percent of the West Bank, remains off-limits for Palestinian use and development, and many Palestinian families face the threat of displacement from eviction or demolition of their homes. While in 2009 the overall number of Palestinian injuries reached the lowest level since 2005, human rights groups have drawn attention to the recent rise in Israeli arrests of organizers of non-violent protests in the West Bank.