Ref: 119/2006

Date:  03 December 2006

Time: 08:30 GMT

On the Occasion of the International Day of Disabled Persons:

PCHR calls upon the international community to put an end to the human rights violations perpetrated by IOF against handicapped Palestinians in the OPT

Sunday, 3 December 2006, was the UN International Day of Disabled Persons (IDoDP). In 1992, at the conclusion of the United Nations Decade of Disabled Persons (1983-1992), the General Assembly proclaimed 3 December as the International Day of Disabled Persons (resolution 47/3). This decision came so as to stress the importance of respecting, advocating, and protecting the right of disabled persons worldwide. Such action would contribute towards realizing equality between people without discrimination based on gender, ethnicity, clr, social standing, or any other form of discrimination.

The IDoDP falls this year at a time of heightened suffering of disabled Palestinians due to the serious escalation of war crimes by Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) against Palestinian civilians and property, especially over the past 5 months. These war crimes were perpetrated during the repeated incursions by IOF into Palestinian population centers. As a result of these war crimes, the number of Palestinians who suffered disabilities increased from 4% to 20% of the number of wounded. Furthermore, the destruction of infrastructure such as bridges, roads, electricity, and other basic infrastructure has resulted in a serious deterioration of living conditions.

The policy of complete siege and closure over the Palestinian Occupied Territory (OPT) compounded with the suspension of international aid caused the economic and social conditions to decline catastrophically. Unemployment and poverty rates reached unprecendented levels. Thus, the economic and social conditions of disabled Palestinians have deteriorated; and they are suffering from a severe lack of rehabilitation, health, educational, and vocational services.

IOF war crimes have not been distant from disabled Palestinians. Like others in society, they were subjected to serious human rights violations and war crimes. Since the beginning of the year, IOF have killed 6 disabled Palestinians, including a 9-year old girl. PCHR has documented the killing of 79 disabled Palestinians, including 10 children and 4 women, since the start of Al-Aqsa Intifada on 29 September 2000. The victims included 21 mentally disabled, 12 physically disabled, 19 with hearing disabilities, 7 with multiple disabilities, 11 with psychological disabilities, and 1 with visual disability. The large number of victims shows that IOF did not take the necessary effort to prevent the victimization of civilians in general and the disabled in particular. In addition, more than 100 disabled Palestinians were injured by IOF during the Intifada.

Disabled Palestinians were also subjected to detention by IOF. Thus, they suffered different forms of cruel, inhumane, and degrading treatment including torture. Hundreds of disabled were detained at IOF checkpoints isolating Palestinian population centers. And a number of institutions serving the disabled were damaged during IOF military operations. This included bombardment that caused extensive damages. El-Noor School for the Disabled and El-Wafa Rehabilitation Hospital suffered extensive damages in the Gaza Strip. The girls school for the visually impaired in El-Bireh and the Disabled Service Center in Askar refugee camp suffered complete and partial destruction of their buildings. These IOF operations were a violation of the educational and rehabilitation rights of the disabled.

This year’s anniversary of the IDoDP coincides with the continuation of the policy of complete closure and siege imposed by IOF on the OPT. This policy has had catastrophic effects, worsening the deterioration fo the humanitarian situation of Palestinians, including the handicapped.

The decision by donor countries to suspend international aid to Palestinians accentuated the suffering and let to unprecedented levels of unemployment and poverty. Health and living conditions deteriorated to a degree that threatens the total collapse of the health and educational systems in the OPT. The suffering of the disabled was double since rehabilitation institutions are facing financial crises and serious deficits that led to the suspension of many rehabilitation services. Disabled Palestinians dependent of welfare assistance from the Ministry of Social Affairs are suffering the irregularity of aid.

The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) is suffering from international sanctions and the withholding of tax monies by Israel. Thus, the PNA is suffering from a financial crisis, rendering it unable to meet many of its commitments towards the population. As a result, disabled Palestinians are suffering from a servere deterioration in the enjoyment of the rights stipulated in the Rights of Disabled Palestinians’ Law No. 4 for 1999. The disabled are still suffering from the non-implementation of this law, which gives them health, educational, rehabilitation, employment, recreational, sports, and social rights.

The deterioration of economic and social conditions of disabled Palestinians has rendered them suffering from irregular social services. They and their families are suffering poverty and lack of rehabilitation services, including the provision of necessary equipment. For more than 6 years, the disabled are still waiting for the implementation of the Rights of Disabled Palestinians Law that includes the issuance of a “Disabled” card entitling the disabled to a variety of services.

On the occasion of the IDoDP, PCHR calls:

–         Upon the international community, including the High Contracting Parties of the Fourth Geneva Convention 1949, the bodies of the UN, and international governmental and non-governmental organizations to exercise pressure on Israel to stop violating International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law, and to stop violations against Palestinian civilians;

–         For the immediate end of all IOF violations against disabled Palestinians, including killing and injury, and stopping all forms of targeting rehabilitation and educational institutions for the disabled;

–         Upon the international community to ensure Israel’s respect of international human rights conventions and treaties, especially those pertaining to the disabled;

–         Upon donor countries to resume financial aid to the Palestinian people since the suspension of aid has undermined the economic and social rights of Palestinians and led to worsening levels of poverty and deprivation, resulting in the deterioration of living standards;

–         Upon the PNA to hasten to issuance of “disabled” cardd stipulated in the Rights of Disabled Palestinians Law to reduce the suffering of the disabled and provide decent living conditions for them and their families;

–         Upon Ministries and governmental organizations to respect the law pertaining to the “disabled” quota of at least 5% in the number of employees in these institutions; and

–         Upon the Ministry of Education to provide secondary education for those with hearing disabilities, to ensure equality in education.