RAMALLAH, Tuesday, September 26, 2023 (WAFA) - Under the patronage of Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh, the Palestinian government today signed with the Japanese government a memorandum of understanding regarding financing a project to improve drinking water supply in Jenin at a value of $20 million.
The project, whose agreement was signed in the Prime Minister’s Office, is part of international support aimed at providing access to safe water for the residents of the northern West Bank city of Jenin. With this grant, the Palestinian Water Authority will enhance the water supply in Jenin Municipality by rehabilitating water resource facilities, constructing water distribution facilities, establishing appropriate water distribution zoning, and expanding the distribution network.
Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh conveyed his gratitude to the Government of Japan and the Japanese people for their unwavering support of Palestine across various dimensions. This consistent support serves to strengthen Palestinian resilience and bolster the bilateral relations between the two nations.
Shtayyeh underscored that this grant is specifically earmarked for the well-being of the Palestinian people in Jenin and will be managed by the Palestinian Water Authority.
Advisor to the Prime Minister, Estephan Salama, explained that work on the project is expected to begin after the signing, and its implementation will raise the percentage of beneficiaries of water supply networks from the current 81% to 98%. It will also reduce losses from 60% to 25% and will increase the number of beneficiaries of the project in Jenin by 2030 to over 70,000 people.
Mazen Ghoneim, the head of the Water Authority, thanked the Japanese government and JICA for the support they provide to Palestine in general and the water sector in particular, explaining that this project came as a result of the first phase, which began in 2017 at a cost $5 million.
"We look forward to further cooperation with the Japanese government in the water sector because the water in Palestine is not only a basic service and a government priority but rather a political issue par excellence since the Israeli occupation controls more than 85% of the water sources in Palestine and controls the fate of our people. Therefore, these projects come so that we can exploit every drop of water to provide it to our people so that we can remain steadfast on our land and face all Israeli measures,” he said.
For his part, the Ambassador for Palestinian Affairs, Representative of Japan to Palestine, Yoichi Nakashima, expressed his gratitude to the Prime Minister and the Palestinian partners for facilitating the implementation of Japanese projects in Palestine.
"Today, Japan has extended fresh support worth $20 million to enhance water services in the city of Jenin. This assistance will be channeled through municipal teams that have previously benefited from the JICA project. The primary goals of this grant include the rehabilitation of water resource facilities, the expansion of the water distribution infrastructure, and the improvement of water supply efficiency in Jenin Municipality," he said.
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