8 March 2023
Palestinians in ‘Area C’, the 60% of the occupied West Bank that lies under full Israeli civil and military control, face numerous and persistent threats to their health and dignity. From restricted access to healthcare, to the ever-present threat of demolition and displacement from their homes, these communities live at the sharp end of Israel’s occupation and its many discriminatory policies.
As a result, Palestinians in Area C must rely on mobile clinics such as those operated by the Palestinian Medical Relief Society (PMRS) and funded by Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP).
Dr Aseel Dar-Alan works as a Women’s Health Doctor with a mobile clinic serving Bedouin communities in the Jordan Valley. Speaking recently to MAP, she told us how women are particularly marginalised in this already oppressive context, and why her work is so important to upholding their health and dignity.
“Mobile clinics provide all the primary care that different communities in Area C need,” said Dr Aseel. “They also play a critical role in raising awareness about health issues in these communities, especially for women who are among those most in need of the clinics’ services.”
“Many women in the Jordan Valley did not finish school – whether because of cultural beliefs or challenges for girls in accessing high school [due to movement restrictions]. So our services are essential to helping these women learn about their health, and how to take preventative care against diseases and other health risks,” said Dr Aseel.
“The most common diseases are respiratory and skin diseases, given the climate and environmental nature of the Jordan Valley. But communities also face the threat of burn injuries as communities rely on open fires for cooking,” she added.
One of the women who has benefitted from Dr Aseel and the team’s work is Nadia, a resident of the Abu Hussein community in the Jordan Valley. “The mobile clinic has helped us a lot by providing healthcare, especially to our children, and through supplying essential medicines, which in the past we needed but could not get,” she said.
“As women, we are now served by a female doctor specialising in women’s health. We are comfortable seeing her for our conditions and for tips on preventing diseases.” But in the cramped community buildings where the mobile clinic sets up each visit, women like Nadia still often lack truly private spaces for consultations. “We need to feel comfortable when undergoing a check-up or a diagnosis. We also need more specialist equipment for check-ups and support for pregnant women,” she said.
Children’s health in the Jordan Valley is also severely threatened. 16% of Palestinian children under five are stunted (small for their age), rising to 23% among Bedouin children. Stunting has been linked to life-long impacts on physical health, cognitive development, and educational and economic outcomes.
Alongside Dr Aseel, the mobile clinic team in the Jordan Valley comprises a general practitioner, a nurse, a health worker, a lab technician and a social worker. “Since we started this work, we have been visiting each of the 16 Bedouin communities every two weeks. In February, our visits have come weekly, with one fixed day for each community,” said Dr Aseel.
But the communities are difficult for the mobile clinic to access, especially during the winter, with many unpaved roads. “Sometimes this makes us unable to drive to some communities and they miss our response to their needs,” said Dr Aseel.
As well as offering their own primary healthcare services, the mobile clinic refers patients with critical conditions to see a consultant doctor, for free, at the care unit of the PMRS in Ramallah.
“The Jordan Valley is constantly subject to attacks by Israeli settlers”
Violence by Israeli forces and settlers against Palestinian communities in Area C is surging this year, including attacks on their homes, attempts to burn down their tent dwellings, attacks and theft of their animals, and damage to olive trees.
This ever-present threat brings a pervasive fear of losing homes or livelihoods. Of women living in Area C communities surveyed by Oxfam and Birzeit University’s Institute of Women’s Studies, 23.5% reported high and 44.9% moderate levels of individual distress.
This growing violence also adds to these communities’ need for access to first aid in cases of emergency, alongside accidents and environmental risks such as scorpion bites and harsh weather conditions. This is why, as well as providing primary care consultations and medical supplies, the mobile clinic’s staff have trained community members in first aid.
“This training is particularly important in the Jordan Valley as it is constantly subject to attacks by Israeli settlers living nearby,” said Dr Aseel. The Jordan Valley is also geographically isolated, a long way away from healthcare facilities and difficult to access, so having skilled community first aiders is essential, she explained.
With the support of MAP, PMRS has delivered first aid training to 250 people in communities across the Jordan Valley and the South Hebron Hills, where they operate a second mobile clinic. They have also delivered 250 first aid kits to those who have completed the training.
Right now, given the health and humanitarian crisis in the West Bank, the mobile clinics are a vital lifeline to communities who lack any access to healthcare. But the international community must take action to better fund and assist the Palestinian healthcare system so it is able to respond to the current emergency and develop sustainably in line with people’s needs.
Please donate to MAP’s emergency response in the West Bank to help continue the vital work of the mobile clinics.