| qaffin and the isreale wall |
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 In Qaffin: The Aparthe id Gates and the Policy of “Permits” Latest News, PENGON/Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign, October 30th, 2004
Above: Waiting at the Apartheid Wall gate to access his lands, which are isolated between the Apartheid Wall and the “Green Line”
Occupation Forces continue to refuse to issue its so-called “permits” for the citizens of Qaffin village, located in the northern Tulkarm District. Only 650 people from Qaffin have “permits”, while the number of people that have requested to access
as the market prices have dropped to a severe low; at
their lands which the Occupation Forces have now made inaccessible due to the building of the
Apartheid Wall, is some 1600 people. At present, it is the olive harvest season, with people unable to access their groves.
The village of Qaffin is situated in the Tulkarm District, with 8000 inhabitants. The village area is some 10,000 dunums, but with the building the
Apartheid Wall during the Wall’s “first phase”, all the village lands, minus most of the residential area, were isolated between the Wall and the “Green Line”, as the Occupation ensured to separate
people from their lands, annex the lands, and prevent people from a main source of income following the Occupation closure policy that began
with the Oslo Accords but was intensified with the second Intifada.
The Occupation Forces refuse to let the people of Qaffin, as in other villages, from using cars or trucks through the
gates in order to transport their produce, so people use animal-run carts to carry their
harvests. In attempts to sell and market their crops, farmers are finding it hard, if not impossible, times, and once the painful and humiliating task of crossing the gates and bringing the fruits to sell has taken place, sales are an entirely insufficient source of income.
The Apartheid Wall in Qaffin is encircling the village from the west and southwest, having destroyed for
its path alone 500 dunums while isolating 6500 dunums from the agricultural lands of the village, as Qaffin has now lost all of its lands and farms. In
Qaffin village there are two gates in the Apartheid Wall with their so-called stated purpose, as per the Occupation, to be used by Palestinians to reach their lands; in fact, the Occupation maintains
gates shut at all times with only few exceptions as those with Occupation “permits” have infrequent “access”. The majority of the people in Qaffin must travel far, to the Apartheid Wall gate located on Zeita village lands, if they want to
access their own lands, yet still contingent upon Occupation “permission” to cross the gate in Zeita.
The Apartheid Wall and its gates are concretizing the farmers’ loss of all their lands and main source of income. As long as the gates, as an integral part of the Apartheid Wall and its associated policies, remain in tact, lands will be destroyed and dried up, annexed, confiscated, and settlements expanding on them, which is already taking place in various areas in the Wall’s “first phase”
Above: Greenhouses are located on the lands between the Wall and the “Green Line”, most of which have been destroyed because of farmers not being able to access them due to the Apartheid Wall.
Separated Wall
Separated Wall
Before 1948 Qaffin used to have 28000 denims , the land of Qaffin used to reach the limits of KarKour in the west , and the limits of barta'a north ,and Baqa al _ garbia south west .
In 1984 Qaffin lost 18,000 donums of the best plains and remained with only 10,000 donums of mountainous land .
In august 2002 the separating wall was installed to the north and west of the town .
The wall had eaten up about 5600 donums of land of Qaffin .
Befor the wall the main sources of income in Qaffin used to be 80% of the people used to work inside green line as labors and skill labors in the
construction department , and at the same time they are farmers , they depend on a good season olives .
With the presence of the hatred wall the people pf Qaffin lost both main sources of income , and they ended up jobless , with a percentage of about 75-80 % .
The Israelis promised that the farmers will have an access to their land through a number of gates , but in practice one military gate was made in the wall , and very few number of farmers are only allowed to access through the gate , and two days a week .
The number Of families effected by the wall , are about 600 families , which is about 50% of the total inhabitation , the number of permission needed are about 2400where in practice only 20-50 persons allowed through the gate .
1. The Education Situation :-
The town contains 4 schools , for both males and females , and the number of students is about 2500.
The town suffers from a real problem because of the lack of the class rooms where both secondary , elementary schools each year needs additional class rooms , the only solution can be achieved by building two schools for both males and females .
2. The Health Situation :-
There's only one clinic in the town , the clinic belong to theministry of health , the clinic offer services normal services , and for the emergency services they are transferred to tulkerm at a distance of 20 km.
3. Domestic Water :-
There 's only one artesian well in the town which is used for domestic water .and there's a well used for agriculture .
The town depend mainly on working of labors and skilled labors inside the green line .and at the same time they are farmers and they depend on planting olives . and because of the apartheid wall the town lost 50% of it's land , that it's additional to loosing about 70% of it's land in 1948 .
Because of the wall the people lost both sources income either the working inside green line or from farming .
4. Live Stock :-
Static's of 2003 the number of live stock in Qaffin estimated be 3000 , but because lack of livestock of pastures and economic difficulties the number in 2006 estimated to be only 600 .
5-Economy Of The Town :-
The town depend in it's economy on income from working inside the green line as labors and skill labor , they are estimated to be 2000 workers before installing the wall , and at the same time 80% of the people in away or another depend on a season of olives , where 80 percent of of the land is planted with olive trees , before the installing of the wall the production of olive oil was estimated to be 3,000,000 three million dollar a year , because of the wall the town had lost both main sources of income .
6- Number of Farmers :-
The number of farmers in Qaffin is estimated to be 800 farmers .
7- Number Of Merchant :-
The stores in Qaffin are usually small , and the number of such stores are estimated to be 120 stores .
8- Number Of Labors And Skill Labors :-
Skill labors who used to work inside the green line before installing thewall is estimated to be 2000 workers , at the time being 80% of them are jobless .
8- Number of subscribers in Electrical & Water Net :-
Electrical net subscription 1200 .
Water net subscription 1200 .
Qaffin Town
According to historic sources the town of Qaffin is considered to be one of the oldest villages in the region . and it used to be a main passage for convoys in the past .
A number of mountains and very old graves were found in the area , and a number of extinct village like Abu Al- Rujman , Frasin and shamsin were found in the region .
The name of Qaffin was referred to an old Aramic word that means the city of the rocks .
In the town of Qaffin There is a number of old shrines like Shaikh Uthman shrine , And Shaikh Mujahed shrine .
• The Site :-
The town of Qaffin lies 20 KM to the north of tulkarem and it lies between the west costal plains and the eastern heights ofPalestine .
In the old time it used to be a key town of commercial convoys between Syria and Egypt , the distinguished site made the town a goal of conquerors .
The town is surrounded by mountains from three sides , and it over looks the costal plains of Palestine , olive trees where 80% of land is planted with olive trees . and very famous of very good taste of it's olive oil .
• Demography Of Qaffin :-
The citizens Of Qaffin are follows :-
1922 800 inhabitants
1961 2457 inhabitants
1997 7000 inhabitants
2006 9000 inhabitants
The number of refugees in Qaffin are found to be 500 inhabitants .
| | Posted on الخميس 18 سبتمبر 2008 by admin |
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