Palestine: More than 16,000 people around Bethlehem get access to clean and safe water

More than 16,000 people in the Bethlehem area now have access to clean and safe water, following the completion of the EU funded project "Emergency Water Assistance to Drought Affected Communities in the West Bank". The project, funded by the European Commission Humanitarian Aid Department (ECHO) in collaboration with CARE International, aims to improve access to water for people in ten communities in the Bethlehem governorate affected by a severe and chronic shortage of water.

A press release said that as a result of the project, under which water cisterns have been repaired and constructed and temporary water storage tanks made available, residents of the marginalized communities will have access to clean and safe water this year. These communities have been severely affected by the drought that hit the Southern West Bank for the past five years due to the their remoteness and restrictions imposed by Israel on the construction of basic water infrastructure and even water storage cisterns.

The Humanitarian Aid department of the European Commission (ECHO) provides emergency assistance and relief to victims of natural disasters or armed conflicts in more than 60 countries outside the European Union. Since 2000, ECHO has provided around €500 million in aid for the neediest Palestinians in the Occupied Territory, financing not only access to quality water, but also emergency job creation programmes, primary and emergency health assistance, food aid and food security and psychosocial care, as well as protection services.