Anera And USAID Announce Tubas, West bank Rainwater Project

April 23, 2009 | Tubas, West Bank The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Municipality of Tubas today inaugurated a Rainwater Drainage Project to improve the town’s drainage infrastructure. Anera will implement the $300,000 project as part the USAID-funded Emergency Water and Sanitation Program (EWAS) and under the supervision of the Municipality of Tubas. The project will generate 900 days of employment for local workers over the next three years.

During the rainy season, life is often miserable for the residents of Tubas, where streets easily flood because there is no proper drainage network. The new rainwater drainage system will consist of 1,100 meters of pipeline that will allow the rainwater to drain safely into nearby collection areas, or wadies, which will recharge the underground aquifers.

Present at today’s inauguration were representatives from USAID, Anera and the Tubas local government, including USAID|West Bank and Gaza Director Howard Sumka, Anera Middle East Representative Robert Crothers, Tubas Governor Dr. Samy Muslem and Tubas City Mayor Iqab Drabham.

“We thank USAID and Anera for funding and implementing this project,” said Governor Muslem. “We hope this will be the start of many future projects that will benefit the region and its citizens.”

From 2006 to the present, with USAID funding, Anera has been rehabilitating, expanding and upgrading water and sewage systems as well as delivering potable water to needy Palestinian communities in the West Bank and Gaza.

The projects are part of USAID’s overall $2.2 billion in assistance to Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza to help combat poverty, create jobs and improve health and education, water services and infrastructure.