Hebron, West Bank – The Unites States Agency for International Development (USAID) is currently implementing multiple water and infrastructure projects in the southern West Bank.  USAID is overseeing two infrastructure  projects to help alleviate recurring water shortages in the southern West Bank: the Nahaleen Pipeline Project and Deir Sha’ar Pipeline Project.  Both major water transmission projects will provide the infrastructure to increase water supplied to communities in the southern West Bank.  USAID’s intervention will reduce leaks and substantially increase water availability in numerous villages, including Nahaleen, Husan, Battir, Wadi Fukin, Beit Ummar, Al-Arrub Camp, and Halhul.  These water projects, with a collective value of more than $27 million, are expected to benefit 412,000 people in southern West Bank communities.

During a visit to monitor the pipeline rehabilitation project, USAID West Bank and Gaza Mission Director Dave Harden stressed the importance of the projects.  USAID is also upgrading 4.1 kilometers of the two-lane Dura Hebron Road, which links Hebron to Dura, and recently completed the rehabilitation of 5.1 kilometers of the Samu-Yatta Road.  Together, these road upgrades, valued at $10.8 million, benefit nearly 332,000 people in southern West Bank by improving the flow of goods, providing Palestinians with easier access to medical and educational services, and boosting driver safety.

USAID continues to be the largest international donor to the Palestinian Authority (PA) for developing infrastructure in the West Bank.  Over the past 10 years, USAID has invested nearly $900 million in infrastructure programs.  In recent years, USAID has invested nearly $300 million to construct or rehabilitate nearly 900 kilometers of roads.  USAID works with the Ministry of Public Works and Housing and the Ministry of Local Government to identify road priorities and coordinate their implementation.  In the water sector, USAID aims to improve access to clean water and assist the PA to construct and maintain water and sanitation infrastructure that meets the needs of a growing population, as well as to support economic growth.  In recent years USAID has implemented hundreds of water and wastewater activities in the West Bank and Gaza.  Valued at more than $300 million, these projects have developed the supply and distribution of water throughout the West Bank.  USAID has drilled new wells, rehabilitated pump stations, constructed water reservoirs, and connected thousands of Palestinian homes to running water for the first time.

The U.S. Government is the leading provider of bilateral development assistance to the Palestinians, having provided more than $4.6 billion since 1994 for programs in the areas of democracy and governance; education; health and humanitarian assistance; private enterprise; and water resources and infrastructure.

For more information on U.S. assistance, please contact USAID Press Office at wbgpro@usaid.gov or call 03-5114845.