Israel's tightened restrictions on movement has aggravated the plight of Bedouin and herder communities in the West Bank, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warned Sunday.
Israeli settlements, bypass roads, military zones, and nature reserves are preventing herds from moving and gaining access to free grazing areas and water, a crucial factor for the livelihood of some 50,000 Bedouins and herders in the West Bank, said a report released in Amman by ICRC.
Many had to reduce the size of their herds since they could not find enough food and water for them. Animal health problems and a fourfold increase in fodder price have made life even more difficult, according to the organization.
The ICRC has started an emergency distribution of water for 1000 people and their 50,000 sheep in the southern district of Massafar Yatta, which is one of the worst-affected areas.
The Bedouin is a desert-dwelling Arab nomadic group, living throughout the desert belt extending from the Atlantic coast of the Sahara via the Western Desert, Sinai, and Negev to the Arabian Desert.
Source:Xinhua
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