US government finalizes a $48.5 Million water project in Hebron – USAID/ Non-UN Document

U.S. government finalizes a $48.5 Million water project in Bani Naim

Senior U.S. official visits project to provide clean water to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians 

Bani Naim, West Bank – A U.S. Government funded water project in Eastern Hebron will soon deliver clean water to thousands of homes in the southern West Bank. U.S. Consul General Jacob Walles made the announcement Wednesday at a ceremony in Bani Naim, which was also attended by the Governor of Hebron Hussein Al Araj, the Chairman of the Palestinian Water Authority Fadel Kawash and the Mayor of Hebron Khaled Osaily. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator Mark Ward, who is visiting the region from Washington, traveled to Bani Naim to demonstrate U.S. support for the project. The Consul General and Mr. Ward confirmed the U.S. Government's commitment to finalize the $48.5 million Eastern Hebron Bulk Water Supply Project.

"This important initiative will ensure reliable water service for 600,000 Palestinians who are currently subject to significant water supply disruptions. The project affirms our support of the Palestinian Authority and its efforts to build a stable and economically viable Palestinian state," US Consul General Walles stated in his remarks.

The final stage of the project will install water pumps, motors, and other electromechanical equipment.

Previously, USAID funded additional infra-structure improvements in Hebron communities: the construction and installation of 21 miles of pipeline, two water pumping stations, two groundwater wells, three storage reservoirs, and 14 miles of high-voltage power lines. Transportation between Eastern Hebron communities has also been significantly improved by the USAID funded paving of 21 miles of dirt road.

Since 1993, the American people have spent more than $1.7 billion in the West Bank and Gaza to combat poverty, create jobs, improve education, build roads and water systems, construct and equip medical clinics, and promote good governance.

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