Al-Haq is deeply saddened by the tragic death of our dear colleague, Suha Jarrar, 30 years old, a senior legal researcher and advocacy officer with Al-Haq, and daughter of Ghassan and Khalida Jarrar. Suha had been serving Al-Haq as a human rights advocate since February 2017, specializing in gender, environment and climate change before the United Nations treaty-bodies and the Human Rights Council. 

On 11 July 2021, Suha was unexpectedly found dead in her apartment near the Palestine Medical Complex, Ramallah, Palestine. Al-Haq extends its deepest and sincerest condolences to the family of our beloved colleague Suha Jarrar, especially to her mother, Khalida Jarrar, incarcerated for her political activism by the Israeli occupation, to her father, Ghassan Jarrar, to her sister in Canada, Yaffa Jarrar, and the entire Jarrar family. Al-Haq extends its prayers and thoughts to her family, friends and loved ones.

Suha had a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Environmental & Resource Studies and Women and Gender Studies with a distinction on the Dean’s Honour List from Trent University in Canada. During her B.A, Suha was part of the Trent Central Student Association, Community and Race Relations Committee, Ontario Public Interest Research Group - Peterborough and the Peterborough Coalition for Palestinian Solidarity. Suha also had a Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Climate Change Science and Policy with Distinction from the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom. 

Suha was committed to defending human rights and gender justice, and advocating for international environmental law and protection. Before joining Al-Haq, Suha worked as a Climate Change and Gender Officer at the Union of Agricultural Work Committees, as Consultant at the UN Women and as a Program Development and Fundraising Manager at Ma’an – the Forum of Arab Women’s Organisations in the Naqab.

Suha joined Al-Haq in 2017, as an Environment Policy Researcher demonstrating a strident passion for human rights that and a commitment to the rule of law that drove her advocacy internationally. In addition to her exceptional and meticulous attention to detail to produce high calibre work, including a sharp eye for report editing, Suha demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to defending human rights and advocating for international environmental protection, including representing Al-Haq and chairing the MENA region at the International Network for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ESCR-Net). Suha served as a Research and Advocacy officer of Al-Haq for nearly 4.5 years. 

In memory of Suha, and commemorating her significant work with Al-Haq, we share with you a selection of some of her remarkable contributions to the defence of human rights, gender issues, environmental issues and climate change in the occupied Palestinian territory.

• Suha Jarrar, Unpacking Gender in Coercive Environments: The Case of the Jordan Valley
• Suha Jarrar, Adaptation Under Occupation: Climate Change Vulnerability in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
• Suha Jarrar, The Struggle for Self-Determination in the Face of Climate Change
• Suha Jarrar, No Justice, No Adaptation: The politics of climate change adaptation in Palestine"
• Suha Jarrar, The Israeli Occupation is alive and well under COVID-19 lockdown (Mondoweiss)
• Suha Jarrar, Advocacy at the Human Rights Council
• Suha Jarrar, Palestine Civil Societies Inaugural Submission to Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women
• Suha Jarrar, The Ajyal Podcast: Palestinian Land Rights and Inequality in Resource Acquisition
• Suha Jarrar, Al-Haq Meets with the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights to Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation
• Suha Jarrar, On World Health Day, Al-Haq Recounts Israel’s Systematic Denial of Palestinians’ Right to Health
• Suha Jarrar, Palestine Writers Festival
• Suha Jarrar, Media Interview in Israeli forces arrest prominent Palestinian lawmaker and activist Khalida Jarrar (Middle East Eye)

Not only was Suha a courageous and sincere human rights defender, but she was also an inspiring mentor, and warm-hearted friend, full of laughter, kindness and love. Suha touched the hearts of everyone she worked with.

Suha’s memory will remain a legacy and a role model in her strength, patience, generosity and defiance in the face of extreme injustice and adversity of Israel’s prolonged military occupation and apartheid. Suha etched her name deeply in the hearts of the defenders of human rights and the freedom of the Palestinian people, in Palestine and around the world. 

Rest in power.