The Effectiveness of Providing Basic Services (Healthcare, Education, and Sanitation) to Bedouin Communities and Remote Areas

Bedouin communities in the West Bank are among the most vulnerable and marginalized populations, typically residing in Area C, which comprises over 60% of the West Bank 11 and is under full Israeli administrative and security control.2. Within this context, communities  face an increasing rate of forced displacement and systematic policies that hinder their development, denying them access to even the most basic and essential services. These policies have intensified since October 7, 2023. In less than a year, 47 pastoral communities have been displaced as part of a violent settlement campaign, often carried out with direct protection from (or tacit approval of) Israeli occupation forces.. 

The threat extends to more than the loss of land. It includes the destruction of the very foundations of daily life: these communities are denied access to water, electricity, education and healthcare. They are also prohibited from building schools or clinics, even when funded by international organizations, while existing structures constantly face the threat of demolition. Simultaneously, grazing areas are restricted, as their primary source of livelihood – livestock - is frequently confiscated, or attacked. Thus, the occupation’s policies create a combination of environmental, social and economic displacement. This not only aims at physical displacement, but at taking apart the basic requirements for daily survival..

This paper analyzes the effectiveness of essential services provided to Bedouin communities and remote areas in the West Bank,  specifically in the fields of healthcare, education and sanitation. It seeks to assess the availability, quality and continuity of these services under the constraints imposed by the occupation, while also highlighting the stark disparities between these communities and surrounding Israeli settlements. The paper does not claim to offer comprehensive solutions, but rather seeks to map the systematic  deprivation facing these communities. It proposes urgent interventions to improve their current situation in the short term, and  strengthen their resilience in the long term.