9. Giacaman, R. and Abdullah, A. Environment and Public Health Crisis Emerging in the Western Ramallah Villages. Birzeit: BZUICPH, 2002: 6 pp.

This is a rapid appraisal of living, health and environmental conditions of 29 communities located to the west of Ramallah town and Ein Arik Israeli Army checkpoint, which has brought much of life to a halt since February 19^th 2002. The report addresses how people living in these communities are dealing and coping with serious constraints to normal life due to the siege and closure. The appraisal demonstrates that living conditions in these 29 communities are enormously difficult, and are likely to reach humanitarian and public health crisis proportions soon, unless a concerted effort is made to alleviate the difficulties of life there.