New report reveals violation of the right to water of the Arab-Bedouins in the Negev

New report by the Negev Coexistence Forum for Civil Equality (NCF) reveals that the state of Israel systematically restricts access to water for tens of thousands of Bedouin citizens living in the unrecognized villages in the Negev.

Filling a water tank in the village of Tel- Arad (Photo: NCF)

Filling a water tank in the village of Tel- Arad (Photo: NCF)

The report reveals that the right to water in sufficient quantity, proper sanitary level and at a fair price, is systematically deprived from these citizens. Some of the villages have no permission to connect to running water source. The inhabitants of these villages have to transport water to their homes in tankers. In places where the state allows water connection, a narrow pipe connection serves a large number of people, which creates a strain on the water pipe and prevents continuous supply to all houses. Additionally, the rate for consumers living in the unrecognized villages is the highest in the country – 65% higher than the charge for other rural communities. The high price is added to the cost of installation and maintenance of the infrastructure from the central water pipe to the houses, imposed on the residents. Likewise, there is no supervision by the Ministry of Health of the quality of the water, which can lead to the use of poor quality water and threaten the health of these citizens.
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The full report (Hebrew)