Immediate impacts of the Barrier

In 2002, following the outbreak of the Second Intifada, Israel started constructing the West Bank Barrier. The Barrier and its associated gate and permit regime currently directly affect 172 Palestinian communities.¹ It separates families and severely restricts Palestinian access to land, livelihoods, and basic services, including schools and hospitals. Amongst refugee communities affected by the Barrier, these negative impacts are compounded by the fact that they tend to lack security of property tenure and endure higher rates of unemployment and food insecurity.

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1 According to criteria applied by UNRWA’s Barrier Monitoring Unit and various other organisations. The directly-affected communities list includes communities whose lands have been isolated by the Barrier and communities located between the Barrier and the Green Line, excluding East Jerusalem. (May 2012)