11. Giacaman, R., Abu Harb, H., and Abu Harb, N. Environmental and Public Health Crisis Emerging in the Northern West Bank Villages. Birzeit: BZUICPH, 2002: 4pp.

This is a rapid appraisal of 34 villages and one refugee camp located in the Tulkarem District, investigating the living environment of a rural and isolated population beginning March 29th and ending April 25th, 2002, at the time the survey was completed. The sample was randomly chosen, taking into consideration location (border villages, villages close to settlements, close to bypass roads etc), population size, and ability to obtain the relevant information from reliable sources. Nur Shams Camp was included in this survey because of its location, not in direct proximity to Tulkarem town, and consequently, resembling villages in terms of isolation from the main town center. Information was obtained from the Mukhtars or other responsible persons in each of the locales and doubled checked for accuracy with other informants. Interviews were conducted by mobile phone. The total population included in this survey is in the order of 120,000 persons. Of those, about 52,000 are children under the age of 15 (43% of the population), an additional 6000 (5%) are elderly, 65 years or over, and 22,000 (18%) are women of child bearing age. These vulnerable and priority groups for health care are usually affected first by deteriorating living environments and constitute 65% of the total population surveyed.