|
Impact
of Checkpoints in Terms of Time and Cost |
| From
Ramallah to: |
Travel
time (hours) |
Cost
(NIS)* |
| Before** |
After*** |
Before |
After |
| Bethlehem |
0:45 |
2-5 |
8 |
17.5 |
| Hebron |
1:50 |
6-10 |
20 |
60 |
| Jenin |
2:00 |
5-6 |
20 |
60 |
| Jerusalem |
0:20 |
1 |
3.5 |
5.5 |
| Nablus |
0:45 |
3-6 |
9 |
30 |
*
1 New Israeli Shekel (NIS) = $0.23 US
** Before and After refer to presence of
checkpoints
*** After reflects range of travel time,
including time spent waiting to pass
checkpoints, and does not include
instances such as closures in which it
is impossible to reach a particular city |
How the
Checkpoints affect various facets of Palestinian society
ECONOMIC
The
Israeli-imposed checkpoints in the West Bank and
Gaza Strip are debilitating to the Palestinian
economy and standard of living.
Not only are goods and services unable to
reach their markets, but Palestinian workers are
no longer able to reach their jobs.
125,000 Palestinian workers who were
employed in Israel prior to September 2000 are
now unemployed, as are 150,000 workers who work
within the Occupied Territories but are unable
to reach their jobs because of the Israeli
closures between Palestinian towns and villages. In many areas, unemployment has reached 60%.
If the checkpoints and Israeli siege
continues, it is estimated that by the end of
2001 nearly half of Palestinian families will be
living below the poverty line.
EDUCATION
Palestinian
students face a number of dangers while
attempting to travel to and from school.
The Ministry of Education reports that
many students are the victims of beatings,
insults, and cursing from Israeli soldiers while
crossing checkpoints.
One student that was interviewed travels
every week between Hebron, where her family
lives, and Ramallah, where she goes to school.
The student described her panic when
confronted by Israeli soldiers at checkpoints
and described her continuous fear of being
harassed, beaten, or even sexually assaulted
while trying to return to her family's home.
It is this fear, combined with the dire
economic situation, which has caused more than
5000 students to quit school since the beginning
of the Intifada. (PCBS, 2001)
FAMILY
Palestinian
society is characterized by large, closely-knit
families, within which family members rely on
each other for social interaction and support. Israeli checkpoints, closures, and roadblocks have damaged
this important social fabric by separating
family members from one another; families cannot
travel to visit one another nor come together
for special occasions.
Many women who married men from other
villages, and consequentially moved away from
parents and siblings, have been prevented from
visiting their families for several months.
Similarly, university students who live
away from home are not permitted to visit their
families. Holidays, such as Ramadan, Eid
al-Ftour, and Eid al-Adha, are important times
for Palestinian families. Usually, members
of a family spread all over Palestine for work
or school return to the family homes in towns
and villages during these times, and the
checkpoints impede and often deny this crucial
privilege to Palestinians.
HEALTH
The
checkpoints pose a great risk to Palestinians’
health by preventing their access to health care
services and hospitals in times of need.
Many Palestinians have died while in
ambulances on their way to the hospital because
Israeli soldiers refused to let the ambulances
through. Particularly
for those who live in small villages that the
Israeli army has isolated from larger towns,
reaching health care can be nearly impossible.
This means that fewer children are
receiving vaccinations, fewer women are
receiving pre-natal check-ups, and those who
require medicine are often unable to get it.
In
several instances, the checkpoints have
prevented women in labor from reaching the
hospital. As
a result, several women have been forced to give
birth in cars, ambulances, or donkey-carts while
being detained at the checkpoints.
Similarly, ambulances have been prevented
from reaching women in labor, forcing these
women to give birth at home.
As a result of the checkpoints, many
women have suffered miscarriages or stillbirths
because they were unable to receive the proper
medical attention.
For
more information on the impact of checkpoints on
the civilian population, check out the United
Nations Special Commission (UNSCO) reports.
ICW
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