Over the course of the month of July, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission Director Amy Tohill-Stull met individually with the mayors of Tulkarem, Jenin, and Nablus to discuss programming in the northern part of the West Bank and to reaffirm USAID’s commitment to improving the lives of Palestinians. In addition, she met collectively with the mayors of Halhul, Dura, and Hebron to discuss progress of the Non Revenue Water Activity, which will capture 2 million cubic meters in lost water revenue across the three municipalities, thereby increasing the safe, reliable supply of water and revenues for municipal purposes. Projects resulting from the partnerships in all municipalities address the most critical issues affecting Palestinians today, including private sector development, job creation, skill development, improved service delivery, more effective water and wastewater management, youth empowerment and learning, and support for vulnerable communities.
“USAID is proud of our partnerships with municipalities in the West Bank. Our current portfolio, totaling $250 million extends across the West Bank and is positioned to address priority development challenges and the most pressing needs in communities. In the coming year, we look forward to continuing to make progress and rolling out new projects.” stated USAID Mission Director Tohill-Stull.
Mr. Nidal Obeidi, Mayor of Jenin said "Since the first moments of announcing the collaboration project between the Jenin Municipality and USAID, communication has been ongoing to ensure the success of the [wastewater treatment] project and achieve a Palestinian-American success story in Jenin. This is of special importance since Jenin has been suffering from this issue for decades, and given the fact that proper disposal of wastewater ultimately benefits citizens and farmers."
Mayor of Tulkarem, Dr. Engineer Riyad Awad, stated: “We extend our gratitude to Mission Director Amy Tohill-Stull for the support provided by the United States Agency for International Development. This support encompasses the assistance in constructing the Shweikeh Sporting and Cultural Club’s new facilities, which serve a crucial youth demographic in Tulkarem and surrounding areas, as well as the support for the sanitation project covering a significant area of Tulkarem city and its environs. We hope for continued Agency support towards initiatives that enhance the living standards of the city and its suburbs.”
The Mayor of Nablus, Dr. Husam Shakhshir said “We appreciate USAID’s past support for Nablus Municipality projects. Nablus is facing difficult times in addition to a financial crisis which hampers a number of municipal projects. We look forward to commencing cooperation with USAID in the near future.”
Jihad Abu Asabah, the Mayor of Halhul Municipality said “We highly appreciate the efforts of the United States Agency for International Development that aim to improve the current situation that the Palestinian people are experiencing, including the lack of water resources and water access challenges. There is a great opportunity to overcome these challenges through USAID’s Non Revenue Water Activity that aims to reduce water loss and increase awareness on the proper use of water. We emphasize that conducting such meetings gives us the opportunity to share challenges and exchange opinions and solutions, and contributes greatly to creating a positive and effective dialogue between mayors.”
“We believe that USAID’s project came at the right time and in line with our goals and vision in achieving a fair distribution of water. We also believe that the inclusion of youth, women, and local youth councils will play an important role in spreading awareness to the entire community about the proper behaviors for using water and reducing the percentage of water loss. Therefore, we consider this project a real opportunity to upgrade youth skills and involve them in decision-making activities” said Mayor of Dura, Muhannad Amro.
Tayseer Abu Snaineh, the Mayor of Hebron stated, “Through the Non Revenue Water Activity, we seek to modernize the water networks in the Hebron Governorate and achieve citizen satisfaction by improving water quality and achieving a fair distribution of water to citizens in Hebron, which is considered a main priority for the municipality in the governorate, especially considering the current water challenges resulting from it. We believe that through this project and with joint efforts with the United States Agency for International Development in the West Bank, we will work together to improve water quality, reduce the percentage of water loss, and improve access to water.”
During the Biden-Harris Administration, USAID has provided nearly $500 million in development assistance to implement over 50 projects to support the Palestinian people.
USAID is committed to improving community services and advancing long-term development goals of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza while continuing to address ongoing humanitarian needs in Gaza. To learn more about USAID’s work in the West Bank and Gaza, visit https://www.usaid.gov/west-bank-and-gaza.