USAID and ANERA Inaugurate Expanded Water Network in Jericho

June 14, 2007 | Jericho, West Bank – The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) together with American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA) inaugurated Thursday an expanded water network in the Al-Kasab area in Jericho. The inauguration ceremony took place at the presence of USAID Mission Director Howard Sumka, Palestinian Chief Negotiator Sa’eb Erekat, Governor of Jericho and Jordan Valley Sami
Musallam, and ANERA’s President William Corcoran.

The $132,000 project, funded by USAID and implemented by ANERA, provides a reliable water supply for the 2,000 residents of Al-Kasab, who previously suff ered from constant disruptions in the distribution of water due to low water pressure. New pipe lines were installed through USAID’s Emergency Water and Sanitation (EWAS) program to lead the water from a reservoir on a higher location to Al-Kasab households. Th e project generated 400 person-days of employment for the Jericho area residents.

In addition, the USAID, Palestinian, and ANERA officials conducted EWAS groundbreaking ceremony in An Nuwei'ma village, connecting the community to the Duyuk water reservoir. The project will benefit 1,500 people, who will soon have water available at all times, making daily life easier. USAID’s $285,000 emergency water project in An Nuwei’ma is implemented by ANERA and will create approximately, 1,500 person-days of employment.

The U.S. Government is funding several additional water projects in the Jordan Valley. USAID, together with ANERA, constructed rain water drainage in the Jericho center, preventing it from fl ooding during the rainy season. In addition, in Wadi Al-Qilt, gabions will soon be installed to protect the sides of the wadi to prevent large streams of water caused by heavy rains from damaging houses and the surrounding land. All of Jericho citizens will benefi t from this $200,000 project, which provides 1,000 person-days of employment.

Also, in the village of Marj Na’ja, ANERA is installing a water distribution system that will dramatically change the daily life for the village’s 1,100 residents, who have been buying expensive water from tankers or bringing water from the neighboring villages. After the completion of the EWAS project, there will be tap water available for everyone.

The EWAS program is a $16.8 million program funded by USAID and implemented by ANERA. During the period of August 2006 to September 2008, USAID will provide emergency water and sanitation assistance to West Bank and Gaza communities, who do not receive potable water or sanitation services, or whose services have been disrupted.

Since the start of the program, 60 projects have been completed and another 40 projects are being implemented. More than 815,000 persons have benefi ted so far from EWAS and close to 22,000 days of employment have been created, often in rural areas with high unemployment.

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Media Contact: Jamal Al-Aref
EWAS Chief of Party
02-627 7076
jaref@anera-jwg.org