from Nidal al-Azraq, the executive director of 1for3:
This week we’re focusing on 1for3’s continued work around water. I spoke with Ibrahim (pictured below), a resident of the UN-run Aida refugee camp in Bethlehem, West Bank in 2011. 1for3’s programs began with water in 2011. Despite the impactful work we do through the Water Quality Lab at the Lajee Center, the Israeli occupation continues to limit access to water.
I met Ibrahim on a hot day at his home in the heart of Aida. Despite the dense urban surroundings, Ibrahim is a man of the land. He maintained an extensive garden and kept chickens, doves, and rabbits on his roof. I watched him as he used stagnant water saved in buckets and barrels in his bathroom, kitchen, and on his roof to wash his face. He showed me his parched plants and used hoses to suck still, hot water from large collectors to try to nourish his animals.
I was there when the water came in. When Ibrahim and his children hooked their pump up from the ground floor to harness the water being released by Israeli authorities in the underground tanks in the camp. They ran up and down the three flights of stairs in their home to ensure that the pump was filling the tanks and buckets on the roof. On that day, the water only ran for six hours.
You can see a video of Ibrahim receiving water HERE on 1for3’s Facebook page. The images in this e-mail are pulled from that video and are used with permission from Ibrahim and the Lajee Center Media Unit.
What 1for3 Is Doing | Cleaning Water to Save Lives: Healthy Water Based on Sound Science
1for3 has affirmed throughout the years that programs around water testing, like the Water Quality Lab, are about more than clean water. Water is the first step. Supporting clean water initiatives increase opportunities to grow fresh produce, enable community-based health workers to care for patients, and help families and children to focus on education.
In 2020 1for3 will expand the Water Quality Lab at the Lajee Center. For more information about our current work and planned expansion visit our website. With your support, the Water Quality Lab will continue to grow the Water - Food - Health - Education Nexus in the everyday lives of refugees.
Here are some quick facts about water in Palestine:
November 1967, Israeli authorities issue order 158 after which Palestinians must get Israeli permits for anything related to new water sources for daily use. These are almost impossible to get.
On average Palestinians in the Occupied Territories consume 73 liters of water per person per day. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that people consume at least 100 liters of water per person per day. Israelis consume on average 300 liters of water per person per day.
Israel controls approximately 80% of water reserves in the West Bank.
It is estimated that only 50% of Palestinian households in the West Bank have access to water on a daily basis.
The above information was pulled from the following resources. I encourage you to learn more:
B’tselem | Water Crisis
Applied Research Institute-Jerusalem (ARIJ) | Water and Environment Department
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) | Occupied Palestinian Territory
Amnesty International | “The Occupation of Water”
The Atlantic Council | “Israel's Problematic Role in Perpetuating Water Insecurity for Palestine”
The Alliance for Water Justice | https://www.waterjusticeinpalestine.org/water-facts
