The Humanitarian Monitor | July 2009

Barriers continue to afflict Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), impeding efforts to improve the humanitarian situation. The 9th of July marked the fifth anniversary of the International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion on the West Bank Wall, according to which the route of the wall running inside the West Bank was declared illegal. OCHA has issued a new report highlighting the humanitarian impact of the Barrier. In the West Bank, demolition of Palestinian-owned structures for the lack of requisite permits continue and settler violence is on the rise. The Barrier around the Gaza Strip, built in 1995, facilitates the ongoing Israeli blockade, which is collectively afflicting the lives of a million and a half Gazan residents. This month experienced the lowest amount of imports of basic supplies allowed into the Gaza Strip since the beginning of 2009.