Impact of Separation Wall on the

Impact of Separation Wall on the people and land of

Deir Al Ghusun town Tulkarem district

March 2004

Location and population

The town of Deir Al Ghusun is located 8 km to the north of the city of Tulkarem. It has the population of 10000 inhabitants. It is one of the big agricultural towns in the area with a plateau not less than 1000 dunum, mostly covered with green houses producing the biggest quantity of Vegs in that area. In addition, the town produces about 60000 can of good quality pure olive oil per year.

Town area

The town of Deir Al Ghusun has the area of 13000 dunum, out of which 2000 dunum have been confiscated or separated by the Wall. The town's built up area is 3000 dunum.

The town and the Wall

The Israeli occupation authorities started the construction of the Wall in this area in April, 2002. It has been built at the expense of the land owned by the people of Deir Al Ghusun. The Wall travels over a three km long strip of land to the west of the village confiscating and separating about 2000 dunum of agricultural land divided as followed:

- 70 % hilly areas

- 20 % flat areas ( plateau);

- 10 % pastries and state land.

The confiscated or separated land has been cultivated with the following types of agriculture:

- 40 dunum of green houses cultivated with different types of irrigated Vegs;

- 300 dunum of flat land cultivated with un-irrigated ground crops;

- 1660 dunum cultivated with olive and almond trees.

The town families

The town is comprised of the following five big families:

-Badran, Ghanem, Khader, Qub and Omer. Most of the confiscated or separated land is owned by the family of Ghanem.

Problems faced by the town's inhabitants

1. The loss of large agricultural areas to the Wall has reduced the town's economic income and increased poverty;

2. The setting up of the Wall has blocked access to Israeli markets;

3. The inability of more than 1000 workers from reaching their workplaces inside Israel has risen the number of unemployed and , consequently, reduced family income;

4. The continuous presence of Israeli army patrols and personnel observing the path of Wall has increased the level of fear and tension amongst Palestinian farmers whose agricultural fields are very close to Wall.