| Protest of Palestinian Homeless in Jerusalem SUMOUD TENT CAMP IN DISTRESS Three months after the establishment of the Sumoud tent camp in the Siwanne neighborhood of East Jerusalem, the situation of the approximately 50 families in the camp is desperate.
All of the camp dwellers are victims of Israeli policies aimed at the eviction of Palestinians from the city. Several families joined the camp after their home had been demolished by the Jerusalem municipality. Others lack the financial means to continue to pay the rent of their original home. Many do not have valid documents, because the Israeli Interior Ministry confiscated their ID cards and/or refuses to register their children. Being illegally present in Jerusalem, many of the male camp dwellers cannot find employment, and whole families lack even basic health insurance. Poverty and the lack of options characterize all of them - since they have nowhere to go, they are determined to stay.
Support by Palestinian and international institutions has remained behind the expected. The main initiator of the Sumoud Camp, the Orient House, informed the camp dwellers that there was no budget to take care of their needs. The school busses provided by the Orient House stopped in early November, leaving several families no longer able to send their children to school, because they lack the money for public transportation. The Islamic Waqf did not give its approval to the improvement of the water installations in the camp for fear that the camp, established on Waqf land, may become permanent. Also Palestinian NGOs have not kept their promises: the camp site has not been prepared for the winter season and the promised medical check-ups have not been conducted. International organizations excel in avoiding a clear stand in support of the camp and against Israeli violations of international law and norms in Jerusalem: UNRWA turned down a request to meet and discuss ways to aid this refugee camp of the post-Oslo era; the Red Cross was not ready for more than an unofficial visit to the camp. The Israeli municipality, on the other hand, has been watching from the side: the Sumoud Camp in its current condition is no threat to Israeli rule over Jerusalem. Lobby for Palestinian Women's Rights in Jerusalem Calls for Support of the Sumoud Camp While the Lobby shares the broad criticism on the organizational mistakes, it decided to take the following initiatives: * the problems of the camp were raised in a meeting with the Jerusalem members of the Palestinian Legislative Council on 22 November. Consequently, the Orient House was asked to present a detailed report and evaluation of its initiative; * the Lobby will continue its efforts for raising local and international support for the Camp, so as to provide basic services (medical aid, a kindergarten, legal aid services). Following a successful support campaign in coordination with the AFSC-Chicago, the Lobby will facilitate the construction of additional sanitary installations in the camp.
For more information on this support campaign, please contact the Lobby at: BADIL-Alternative Information Center, Bethlehem, tel/fax. (2) 747346; email: [email protected]; Jerusalem Center for Women, fax. (2) 5747069, email: [email protected] |
