The impact of the legal status of refugees on the access to drinking water. A case study of Jerash Camp in Jordan.

Abstract Millions of Palestinians continue to share the condition of stateless people deprived of their basic human rights and nearly two million live within ‘temporary’ refugee camps throughout Jordan. This research examines the impact of the legal status of Gazan refugees living in Jerash Camp upon the human right of access to drinking water. The analysis includes a theoretical framework regarding the legal status of the population in the camp and the human rights related to water and sanitation, specifically, drinking water. The complexity of this relationship will be examined by discussing factors such as the refugee related legal instruments, the relevance of the human rights of water and sanitation, the grounds for discrimination regarding access to drinking water and the weaknesses of international law to enforce this right. In addition, it will be pointed out the importance of the sustainable development goals of the Agenda 2030 and the call of leaving no one behind from the United Nations-Water. Furthermore, the research will address the historical background that has led Gazans refugees in Jerash Camp with a stateless status and the challenges and barriers that implies in terms of access to work, education and healthcare. Afterwards the water status of their living environment will be assessed and connected to the population’s background. The impact that the legal status of this group, might have on the access to drinking water is of global importance to researchers and policymakers towards a good governance, as they continue to exists disparities in access to drinking water, so the research seeks to shed light on the discriminatory practices and systemic obstacles that restrict human rights and how this can affect the basic human right access to drinking.