RAMALLAH, October 5, 2011 (WAFA) – Representative of Japan to the Palestinian Authority, Naofumi Hashimoto, and the representatives of Al Ubeidiya Municipality and Aqqaba Municipality Wednesday signed the grant contracts of US$ 212,549 by which the Japanese government will fund two projects in education and water through the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP), said a press release issued by the Representative Office of Japan.

It said that $111,978  for ‘The Project for Construction of Additional Classrooms in Al-Ubeidiya City’ will be utilized for the construction of first floor with 7 classrooms and a teachers’ room on the Yafa Elementary School to accommodate students studying in the overcrowded classrooms.

‘The students currently studying at the rented classrooms in a private apartment which are congested by students, less sun light and unhealthy because of the sewage pipe located above the students,” it added.

The Project for Extension of the Water Network in Aqqaba City received US$ 100,571 that will be utilized for the expansion of approximately 5.6 km water network in Aqqaba city for the people who live without tap water, said the Representative Office of Japan.

It said that Aqaba city were forced to purchase water from tankers at a price four times higher than the price of tap water, in addition to the fact that the water supplied by tankers is not well-treated but often contaminated with germs or ameba, raising concern about people’s health.

“Hashimoto in his speech expressed that the Japanese Government is determined to continue its support to Palestinian people from human security perspective as well as from its political stands for their efforts to establish a viable independent Palestinian state and to develop capacities of local institutions in providing basic daily services to people,” said the release.

It added that in the Japanese Fiscal Year 2010, a total of $1,068,288 for eleven projects in the West Bank and Gaza Strip were funded by the Government of Japan under GGP scheme, which is part of Japan’s total assistance to the Palestinians since 1993 amounting about $1.21 billion.

GGP scheme is specially designed to address basic needs from human security perspective, which include water and electricity supply, health care, primary education, and to support deprived people.

R.Q./F.R.