5 September 2024
The city of Tulkarem, in the northern occupied West Bank, is home to the Tulkarem and Nur Shams refugee camps, where more than 40,000 Palestinian refugees are living. Surrounded by five illegal Israeli settlements, as well as an Israeli military checkpoint at the entrance of the city, residents in the camps have long suffered from limited healthcare services and restrictions on movement.
But since October 2023, and the beginning of Israel’s military offensive on Gaza, the situation has dramatically worsened for Palestinians there. Israeli forces have conducted raids on camps almost daily, resulting in widespread destruction of infrastructure, streets and sanitation networks, and unimaginable suffering for residents.
On 28 August, the Israeli military launched its largest military invasion of the West Bank in decades, killing tens of Palestinians by simultaneously attacking Tulkarem and other cities in the north including Jenin, Nablus, and Tubas. The Israeli army sealed off the north of the West Bank, and the invasion pushed the already dire situation in Tulkarem to new extremes.
Doctors reported that Israeli forces in Tulkarem besieged the main hospital and delayed the movement of ambulances and patients. Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) responded to this emergency by providing urgent medical items, including for the treatment of severe burns injuries, to hospitals in the north.
As Faten Asasa, a Programme Coordinator at Al Awda Centre for Childhood and Youth, a MAP partner organisation, said: “Tulkarem and its refugee camps experienced a severe siege, including widespread destruction of infrastructure and the prevention of medical and press teams from entering the camps. According to eyewitness reports, there were homes on fire, and Israeli forces prevented teams from entering and extinguishing them. Moreover, there were serious medical cases that emergency teams were struggling to reach and provide treatment for.”
2023 was the deadliest year for Palestinians in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since the UN began recording in 2005. But this year is exceeding all previous records with more than 620 Palestinians killed, including some 136 killed by Israeli military airstrikes. This is a significant increase in the use of airstrikes and, by contrast, between 2020 and October 2023, six Palestinians were killed in airstrikes, all in 2023.
Most of Tulkarem’s residents worked as labourers in Israel due to the lack of sufficient job opportunities in the city. But since October 2023, Israel suspended and revoked all work permits for Palestinians from the West Bank as a form of collective punishment. Unemployment has now soared further, crippling access to essential healthcare.
Other Palestinians in Tulkarem have lost their livelihoods due to the destruction of their shops and businesses by Israeli forces. Alaa Sroje, a board member at Al Awda Centre, said: “Israeli forces obliterated small shops, including grocery and coffee stalls that Palestinian families relied on.”
The destruction caused to Tulkarem and Nur Shams refugee camps has left elderly people, children, and especially those with disabilities, in an even more precarious situation. The destruction of streets and infrastructure has made it nearly impossible to access essential healthcare services. The mixing of sewage and water networks due to infrastructure damage has posed severe health hazards, with the camp going 11 consecutive days without clean water at one point. “The destruction of Tulkarem refugee camp caused health issues due to dust [from home demolitions] and polluted water,” added Alaa.
The repeated Israeli military incursions have had a profound impact on children with disabilities, particularly those with autism and Down’s syndrome. These children require daily care, but the ongoing invasions and constant threat of violence prevent them from reaching health centres, worsening their conditions.
“Parents now fear sending their children to care centres because of potential incursions, limiting their options to keeping them at home or risking their safety,” said Faten. Staying at home without medical follow-ups for children with disabilities may worsen their symptoms and aggravate their mental health conditions. The current dire economic situation heightens tension and stress levels, creating a distressing environment for these children and their families.
Al Awda Centre works with children with disabilities, specifically those with Down’s syndrome and autism, as well as women, young people, and the elderly. The centre leads community activities, youth initiatives and economic empowerment projects to provide opportunities for Palestinians, and offer them healthcare services in both Tulkarem and Nur Shams refugee camps. Al Awda provides home care visits to elderly people and people with disabilities who cannot access the centre, and is currently supporting women in the camp to start their own small businesses.
The number of volunteers at Al Awda Centre has increased, with young people stepping forward to help their communities. But the needs are overwhelming, and the centre urgently needs more resources to continue its vital work amid escalating Israeli military violence.
MAP is committed to supporting Al Awda Centre as they strive to provide healthcare and alleviate the hardships faced by the residents of Tulkarem. But we cannot do it alone. Your support is crucial in ensuring that essential health and mental care services reach those who need it most in Tulkarem and across the West Bank.
