Amnesty: Israel denies Palestinians access to water resources

Oct 27, 2009, 8:20 GMT

London - Israel is denying Palestinians access to adequate water while settlers 'enjoy lush lawns and swimming pools,' a report issued by Amnesty International in London alleged Tuesday.

The report, entitled Troubled Waters, claims that Israel retains total control over shared water resources and uses over 80 per cent of water from the Mountain Aquifer, the main source of underground water in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

On average, Palestinian daily water consumption barely reached 70 litres per person a day, while Israeli daily consumption was more than 300 litres per day - four times as much.

In some rural communities Palestinians survived on barely 20 litres per day, the minimum amount recommended by aid organizations for domestic use in emergency situations, the 112-page report said.

It said that between 180,000-200,000 Palestinians living in rural communities had no access to running water and the Israeli army often prevented them from even collecting rainwater.

In contrast, Israeli settlers in the West Bank had 'intensive- irrigation farms, lush gardens and swimming pools,' said Amnesty.

Numbering about 450,000, the settlers used as much or more water than the entire Palestinian population of some 2.3 million.