OFID Signs Agreements with UNDP in Support of East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip Projects
Dec 15, 2015
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Roberto Valent, UNDP Special Representative, and OFID Director General Suleiman Al-Herbish following the signing ceremony |
Vienna, 15 December 2015 – The OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) and UNDP’s Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People (UNDP/PAPP) signed agreements worth USD 01 million to implement projects in support of the resilience of Palestinians residing in East Jerusalem and Gaza. The new agreements aim at increasing access to healthcare services for cancer patients in East Jerusalem and creating employment opportunities for youth in Gaza.
During the signing ceremony, OFID Director General Suleiman Al-Herbish commended UNDP/PAPP for their “excellent work” in the occupied Palestinian territory and spoke of OFID’s “unwavering support and solidarity” with the Palestinian people, which spanned nearly four decades. Al-Herbish also said he looked forward to strengthening OFID's cooperation with UNDP/PAPP, especially in areas that fell within the framework of the SDGs, such as boosting energy access.
The East Jerusalem agreement, worth USD 600,000, will include renovation and rehabilitation of the existing chemotherapy department at the Augusta Victoria Hospital, in addition to the procurement of equipment that will enhance its functionality. The expansion of the department will increase the hospital’s bed capacity by 21 additional beds, allow more cancer patients to receive chemotherapy sessions at a given time, and provide adequate space for medical services and storage.
Thanking Mr Al-Herbish for OFID’s support, Mr Roberto Valent, UNDP Special Representative of the Administrator highlighted that UNDP and OFID have a longstanding partnership with the Palestinian people. “The agreements we are signing today are critical to the health sector and to improving the livelihoods of the Palestinian people, especially youth, and supporting their resilience”, he added.
The second agreement, worth USD 400,000, targets the Gaza Strip. It will create short-medium term employment opportunities for 150 youth and new graduates using different job creation and placement schemes, provide capacity development for 50 persons with disabilities, allowing them to access the labour market, and develop a geographical information system for two municipalities to update their data using the GIS system.
It is worth noting that OFID and UNDP have a longstanding partnership that began in 1979. Including the newly signed agreements, UNDP is implementing OFID funded projects worth over USD 7.5 million in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza Strip. These projects include house rehabilitation, establishment of neurology department and installation of solar energy system in two East Jerusalem hospitals, in addition to house rehabilitation, maternities renovation, and installation of solar panels in health and education facilities in Gaza.
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The OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) OFID is a multilateral development finance institution established in 1976 by the Member States of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). The primary aim of OFID is to contribute to the social and economic development of low-income countries. By the end of October 2015, OFID had committed a cumulative USD18.9bn in development financing to 134 countries. |
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) UNDP partners with people at all levels of society to help build nations that can withstand crisis, and drive and sustain the kind of growth that improves the quality of life for everyone. On the ground in more than 170 countries and territories, we offer global perspective and local insight to help empower lives and build resilient nations. |
Contact Information
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP/PAPP)
Ms Dania Darwish, Communications Specialist, Tel. +972-2-6268229 – e-mail: dania.darwish@undp.org. For more information on UNDP/PAPP seehttp://www.ps.undp.org.
The OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID)
Mr Arya Gunawan USIS, Senior Information Officer, the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID), Vienna, Austria, Tel: +43 1 51564/139, Website: www.ofid.org
Document Sources: OPEC Fund for International Development, UNDP Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People (PAPP), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Subject: Assistance, Gaza Strip, Health, Jerusalem
Publication Date: 15/12/2015