The Bedouin and herder communities in the West Bank are facing an "acute water shortage" due to successive years of drought and Israeli restrictions, according to a report by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) that was distributed in Jordan's capital Amman Sunday, dpa reported.
"After three successive years of drought and a very cold winter, Bedouin and herder communities in the occupied West Bank are on the brink of an emergency," the report said.
"Their plight is aggravated by tightened restrictions on movement imposed by the Israeli authorities. Israeli settlements, bypass roads, military zones, nature reserves - all are preventing herds from moving and gaining access to free grazing areas and to water," it added.
The ICRC said that it had started an emergency distribution of water for 1,000 people and their 50,000 sheep in the southern district of Massafar Yatta, which is one of the worst-affected areas.