Dateline ACT

Palestine Territories: 07/02

"We pray for peace": Living under occupation in the West Bank

Jerusalem, July 19, 2002
by Callie Long

The face of politics in the West Bank is tinged with fear, frustration and a devastating measure of despair, as the noose of occupation tightens daily on the villages and cities of the Palestinian Territories. For the tens of thousands of people trapped in their homes by extended curfews or held captive in their villages by the heavily guarded checkpoints, daily life is becoming increasingly tough.

It is in this world fraught with the anguish of families who have not been able to bring in any money in about two years (since the start of the second Intafada) that members of Action by Churches Together (ACT) International, such as the International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC), work everyday. ACT is a global alliance of churches and relief agencies responding to emergencies. " Life is not at all easy in this place," says IOCC’s Nora Kort, referring to the fact that from Jerusalem to the town of Nablus, one has to pass through more than 20 checkpoints.

Food aid features high on the list in these times of crisis for ACT member IOCC. However, this does not mean that training programs aimed at empowering communities take a back seat while the emergency continues. So, in Odala, final work is being done on a community center that will also house classrooms. In Beita, the biggest village east of Nablus with a population of 10,000 people, women and young people flock to the computer-training center. Embroidery classes, like the ones being offered in Huwara, offer the hope, albeit slim, that at some point, the delicately embroidered cloths will generate income for many of the women whose husbands have been out of work for as much as two years.

The women who were originally trained in the art of embroidery have since gone on to train others – at last count about 300 – travelling from village to village to teach these skills. IOCC believes that projects such as these, that at least offer the potential of bringing in a bit of money, are better than simply giving people handouts.

Yet the fear of uncertainty that the occupation and military clampdowns have brought have had a devastating impact on women such as Nova Dahud. In her last month of pregnancy, she says that she is afraid of what will happen when her baby arrives. To take the ambulance to hospital, the only way she will be able to travel to Nablus, she will have to pay 100 Shekels (just under $20US), an amount that she simply cannot afford. Her husband has been out of work for three years now.

Once Nova tells her story, it is as though a dam wall breaks, and the other women line up to tell their stories – a litany of despair and deprivation … and anger at the situation. Husbands out of work. Children to cloth and feed. No income. Scraping by on less than the bare essentials.

An abundance of food might be something of the past, the hope of finding work, however menial, lost months ago, yet the hospitality remains. In spite of the poverty, in spite of the despondency, one is greeted with a smile and a "welcome" everywhere when entering the homes of people. The stories of hardship are however slower in coming. In a society where the men traditionally provide the income, it is tough for them to tell complete strangers, "I can no longer provide for my wife and children."

Ayed Kamal’s family has been identified as one of the poorest in his village. Nazzar Allan, an engineer who works for Nino Engineering, a partner of IOCC, says that Ayed, his wife and six daughter have probably not had meat in over six months. "Imagine how hard it must be for them to smell their neighbours food cooking, when they are hungry." Ayed in turn says very little, except to become animated when asked whether he would return to working as a labourer in Israel, should peace be brokered. "Of course, of course", he says. "I will go and work there. We pray for peace." Nazzar says that in many of the households, such as the Kamal’s, you will find that people sleep a lot - hours and hours on end. "It is the only way they can escape the constant hunger", he says.

In home after home, the story is repeated. No income for two years or more and no prospect of work. No land to till and at least grow a few things to sustain the family. And sadly, none or very little hope.

IOCC’s Nora Kort admits that "we don’t know what tomorrow brings," but more importantly, that people "have forgotten to live for tomorrow." This is one of the tasks of IOCC – to help in times of crisis, but also to help build a tomorrow for the Palestinians.

With an unemployment rate pegged at 78% in the West Bank, there is a desperate need for a solution to the problem Nora Kort states. "We’re talking about reform" she says, "a trickle-up effect – one that starts with ordinary people."

Ayed Kamal’s daughter, Ghadir – one of six siblings - is wearing a bright gold tiara. Someone remarks that she looks like a fairy tale princess. She smiles shyly. The sad reality is that the conflict and violence that continue to wrack the occupied West Bank have stolen the childhood of tens of thousands of children. It will take far more than simple children’s stories to return the lost years lived in fear and uncertainty to young people like Ghadir. Yet in spite of the poverty, in spite of the despair, in spite of the hunger, she wears her tiara proudly. A young girl who can still dream.