USAID assistance to focus on the water sector in 2011

Mr. Michael Harvey, USAID Head of Mission in Palestine, said that aid provided by the Agency in 2011 in the Palestinian Territories shall focus on water sector development and upgrading as USAID believes that this sector constitutes a priority given its positive impact on Palestinians’lives and as it fulfills one of their basic daily needs.

Mr. Harvey was speaking at a meeting with Hebron Mayor KhaledOsaily at the latter’s office. The meeting, also attended by Chris Crowley, USAID Deputy Head of Mission for the Middle East and his accompanying delegation, aimed at discussing Hebron’s needs and priorities and overviewing progress made by projects co-implemented with Hebron Municipality.

At the beginning of the meeting, Osaily thanked the US government and people for their support to the Palestinian people and government as well as for projects implemented through USAID. He spoke about the need to implement further projects in order to improve Palestinians’ lives and create job opportunities to curb unemployment especially in light of recent statistics which revealed that Hebron suffers from the highest unemployment rate in Palestine.“Projects implemented or to be implemented with support from USAID such as Al Salam garden, Al Hussein Stadium and road rehabilitation works by Hebron Municipality have a direct impact on Palestinians who express their satisfaction by calling for additional vital projects in the city”, he added.

Osaily also touched on pioneering projects currently underway with a view to improving services provided to citizens such as the Remote Control System for the Hebron Water Network to be inaugurated next Saturday in the presence of Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, the Italian Consul General and several local and foreign personalities. Osaily explained the importance of this System, its technical specificities and how employees’ skills were enhanced so they can operate the System.

Speaking about other vital projects for which Hebron Municipality seeks funding, Osaily said that there is an urgent need for infrastructure-related projects in the fields of water, roads, youths, schools as well as for job creating projects for recent graduates and unemployed persons. “USAID has played a major role in supporting numerous projects in Hebron and other Palestinian Governorates. We look forward to additional support and to more projects in Hebron which is the biggest and most populated Governorate in Palestine.

Mr. Crowley described Hebron Municipality as a genuine and active partner. “Through joint cooperation, you have succeeded in impeccably implementing a set of vital projects in the city. This in itself calls for and justifies more joint projects which shall further improve the lives of inhabitants”, he concluded.