Ahmed is a Bedouin Shepherd who lives in the South Hebron Hills with his wife, children, and grandchildren. His family has no access to running water, and he is not permitted (by law) to collect what little rainwater may fall. As a result, Ahmed is forced to purchase water from Israeli companies at often outrageous prices. Sometimes, the water he purchases isn’t even safe to drink. Unfortunately, Ahmed must choose between providing his family with water or buying his grandchildren shoes or the books they need for school.
As part of our ongoing commitment to secure fundamental human rights, Combatants for Peace is launching a campaign to demand that impoverished Bedouin and Palestinian communities are given access to clean, reliable drinking water – every day of the week.
Water is a fundamental human right.
Without it, families cannot survive.
In the photo above, Nasser*, a local community leader, is pointing to and explaining about the broken pipes that lead to Ahmed’s home. A few years ago, the local spring was used to pipe-in water to the community. Today that water is being re-directed to a nearby settlement, and Ahmed’s land is parched.
Combatants for Peace is taking action. Your generosity will provide Ahmed’s family with enough water to survive until the next rainy season. We are also raising awareness about this critical issue and will be petitioning the United Nations, Congress, and other international leaders to demand that the Israeli government allow these vulnerable communities access to water.
Please help us bring clean, safe water to the families who need it.
*In an earlier version of this newsletter, we had identified the photograph of Nasser as Ahmed. The correction is made above. The story is about Ahmed, but was told to us by Nasser, a local community leader who is featured in the photograph.