A/HRC/39/55 migrants under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, recognized that some States face a heavier burden than others owing to large flows of migrants fleeing conflict or persecution, and reiterated that the fulfilment of core obligations gave rise to national responsibilities for all States and international responsibilities for developed States, as well as others that were “in a position to assist” (E/C.12/2017/1, para. 18). III. Protracted displacement 39. Protracted displacement has been defined as displacement in which refugee populations of 25,000 persons or more from the same nationality have been in exile for five or more years. Currently, two thirds of refugees are in a situation of protracted displacement, with an average duration of more than 20 years35 and an average length of internal displacement of more than 17 years. Ongoing armed conflicts that have lasted for years continue to deepen in complexity, bringing new waves of violence and forced displacement. Disasters can also lead to protracted displacement. 40. In 2009, after 60 years of displacement, attacks on water and sewage infrastructure in Gaza and a blockade imposed on supplies left 10,000 Palestinians with no access to the water network and 900,000 with only irregular access. The damage caused to sewage treatment plants led to the discharge of untreated or only partially treated wastewater directly into the Mediterranean Sea. 36 In Algeria, more than 40 years since the end of the conflict there, some 165,000 Sahrawi refugees still live under the harsh conditions of the Sahara Desert. Although their water supply has moved from shallow to deep ground water wells and an improved system, they still use only 15 to 17 litres of water per person per day. 37 Besides these direct consequences, insufficient system operation and maintenance caused by the lack in human and financial capacity compound the deterioration in access to water and sanitation services even further. 41. Humanitarian assistance that targets formal and informal camps for forcibly displaced persons alone may not be sufficient, and may in fact prevent the full realization of human rights to water and sanitation, which inevitably depends on the capacity of existing services and natural and other resources. In northern Jordan, for instance, the large-scale influx of refugees has put strain not only on both the scarce water resources available and the aging water infrastructure, but also on sanitation systems, including in schools, whose poor facilities discourage girls from attending. In such a situation, efforts to mitigate the additional stress caused by the mass arrival of refugees are insufficient; the shortfall in existing service delivery must be addressed also. The additional pressure placed on water and sanitation services risks becoming a source of social tension between forcibly displaced persons and local populations as well. A. Towards an inclusive approach 42. Certain humanitarian bodies are increasingly conscious of the need for an inclusive approach to access to water and sanitation, which involves including forcibly displaced persons in national and local development planning. It also involves providing assistance in expanding and strengthening local water and sanitation services, thereby ensuring access to water and sanitation for forcibly displaced persons and other affected populations. Emergencies can be an opportunity not only for ensuring the continuity of service provision, but also for making access to service more inclusive; for example, some interventions conducted by the International Committee of the Red Cross in urban areas affected by protracted armed crises help to strengthen the sustainability and resilience of 35 36 37 Crawford et al., Protracted Displacement (see footnote 26). See A/HRC/38/54, chap. III, ISR 4/2011. Marta Vivar et al., “An insight into the drinking-water access in the health institutions at the Saharawi refugee camps in Tindouf (Algeria) after 40 years of conflict”, Science of the Total Environment, vol. 550, 2016, pp. 534–546. 11