The estimated total population of the Hebron District is 257,691 per the year 1994, representing 12% of the total population of Palestine. The district center, Hebron City, has a population of approximately 85,980, representing 33% of the total population of the district (PBS, 1994). According to the Hebron Municipality, the city has a population of around 123,000 people per the year 1994. Despite the PBS underestimation of the district population the PBS figures are used in this volume, because population statistics was not conducted Since 1967.
Approximately 42% of the population of the Hebron District (108,547 people) live in rural areas. 5% (approximately 11,675) lives in refugee camps and 53% (approximately 137,467) lives in communities under municipalities administration (PBS, 1994).
Hebron is an agricultural marketing and trade center, with glass and leather manufactures. Productive agricultural activities exist only in the western parts of the region where the climatic and soil conditions are favorable. The eastern part of the region has desert-like conditions with barren steep hills, sloping towards the Dead Sea shores. Except for grazing, there is a very limited potential for productive agricultural development.
Major industrial activities in the district include stone and aggregate quarrying, stone and marble cutting, tanning industry, manufactures a distinctive type of blue, hand-blown glass, shoes making and a wide range of manufacturing and processing industries.
There are no figures or studies concerning the per capita Gross National Product (GNP) or Gross Domestic Profit (GDP) for the district. According to the World Bank official statistics, the overall economy in Palestine is characterized by a per capita GNP of US$ 1,715 and a GDP of US$ 1,275 for 1991 (World Bank, 1993).
According to a 1994 study, Approximately 68% of the employed persons have permanent jobs, 17% have seasonal jobs and 15% have part-time jobs. The unemployment rate (aged 16 to 59) is around 30% which includes all persons who don't work at all for one reason or another (PARC & Arab Thought Forum, 1994).
Provision of services for the district inhabitants is not limited to the governmental and civil administration institutions. The district contains a large number of charitable and non-governmental organizations that fill the gaps in services that the formal institutions are not able to provide. Appendix 2 shows the most important associations and institutions.
According to the survey conducted by ARIJ in May 1995, around 55% of Hebron City is connected to the sewage disposal network. The remaining 45% depends on cesspits for sewage disposal. There is no sewage collection network in any of the villages in the district. The village inhabitants depend on cesspits for sewage disposal. In the refugee camps there is no access to a sewage system or collection in cesspits. The sewage waste is carried away in open channels.
Although 82% of the population in the district has access to piped water, there are many problems with water quality and continuity of supply. During summer, people in the villages, camps and even in Hebron City, suffer from water shortages. Future plans to Rehabilitate the networks and to increase supply rates is prepared by municipalities and village councils.
Solid waste disposal and management is an increasing problem which local authorities must address. Solid waste can be seen on road sides, backyards and in open space. The waste collected by municipal or village councils is deposited in open, uncontrolled dumps. Nearly 78% of the solid waste is collected in the Hebron District, while the remaining 22% of the garbage is dumped randomly (ARIJ 1995).
The Israeli Electric Company (IEC) supplies the Hebron District with electricity. On average about 63% of households receive electricity on 24 hours basis. In rural areas, electric supply is erratic with less than 50% of rural households receiving a 24 hours/day. One of the major problems faces the rural areas is the disconnection of electricity supply because of poor maintenance, or as a result of commulative bills which are not paid by the municipalities or village councils. Rural communities which do not have access to electricity supplies are dependent on either local community generators or on home generators which are used by some or all households in the communities (Heiberg, M. and Ovensen, G. 1993).
The level of infrastructure in the Hebron District varies between urban and rural areas. Many of the rural communities are accessible only through unpaved narrow roads. Access roads to most villages suffer from rapid deterioration, and internal road networks in some of these villages are rated as very poor. Furthermore, the small and scattered village communities have poineering or road infrastructure (Center for Engand Planning, 1993).
Not only the roads in the district lacks proper pavement and design, but also poor organization and management of the traffic system; for example, traffic lights are not allowed by the occupation military laws and traffic police is not available. Three types of transportation services are available in the district: buses, taxis, and private cars.
In the urban areas approximately 24% of households have access to telephone network, while 7% of villages and rural areas are connected (Heiberg, M. and Ovensen, G. 1993). In rural areas, most of the time, telephones are non-functioning due to network problems or cables theft.
Since the onset of Israeli occupation, the Israeli military authorities have implemented policies that neglected the existing governmental health services and led to the disintegration of health-care infrastructure in the territory. The natural development of this sector was impeded by tight restrictions, including the denial of funds, the blocking of further development and the linkage of health-care institutions to their Israeli counterparts.
There are four main branches supporting the health sector: the government, the private Palestinian sector, charitable and non-government organizations (NGO's), and UNRWA which is directed primarily towards refugees. In August 1994, the Israelis gave back responsibility for the health care sector to the Palestinian Authority as part of the agreements made in the Oslo Accords.
Primary Health Care clinics: Sixty-three primary health clinics serve the Hebron District and are distributed as follows: Twentyfive clinics are operated by NGOs; thirty-one clinics are run by the public sector, and UNRWA operates seven clinics for the refugees (PCH, 1994).
Hospitals: There are five hospitals in the Hebron District; two are public hospitals, one is operated by the government and the remaining one by NGO. There is also a pediatric hospital operated by NGO's sector and two private maternity hospitals. Six rehabilitation centers serve Hebron District (PCH, 1994).
There are 14 ambulances in the Hebron District, out of which 8 belong to the Red Crescent, 3 are owned by the Patient's Friends Society, one belongs to the government hospital and two are owned by the Hebron Municipality (PCH, 1994).
Medical and Health-Care Personnel: The total number of human health resources in the Hebron District is:
Since 1967 the education sector was controlled by the Israelis military law. Recently, in August 1994, after the "Cairo Agreement" between Israel and Palestinian Authority, the education sector has been the responsibility of the Palestinians.
In 1942/43, there were only two schools in the district, they were classified as elementary schools, one for boys and one for girls. By 1966/67 the number of schools had grown to 25 this included governmental, UNRWA, and privately operated schools (Encyclopedia Palaestina, 1994).
According to the official Palestinian statistics for the year 1994/95, the total number of schools in the district was close to 312, of which 203 are primary schools (elementary and intermediate), 44 are secondary schools and 65 are either kindergartens or community colleges. These schools host close to 103,271 pupils (excluding universities) (PBS, 1995). The following table shows the total number of pupils in the district and the distribution by education level and sex.
| Kindergartens | Primary | Secondary | Colleges
|
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male | 3,470 | 46,596 | 3,548 | 396
|
| Female | 3,008 | 43,650 | 2,999 | 546
|
| Total | 6,478 | 90,246 | 6,547 | 942 |
Although governmental schools which were established after 1967 comprise the largest sector of the school system in Hebron District, (there are 215 government schools, 79 private schools and 18 UNRWA schools), the educational system is in great need for attention and review. Overcrowding in classrooms greatly affects the levels of both education and literacy among pupils, as shown in figure 3.1 .
