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West Bank/Gaza
EXAMPLES OF OUR IMPACT
- USAID programs have provided potable water to 1.7 million beneficiaries (69 percent of the population) in the West Bank through large-scale well drilling and water pipeline projects.
- In response to the humanitarian crisis caused by the military operations in Gaza, USAID has distributed more than $24 million worth of humanitarian and early recovery commodities.
- USAID has trained more than one-third of the Central Elections Commission staff in preparation for the Palestinian elections expected in January 2010.
USAID/
WEST BANK/GAZA SITE www.usaid.gov/wbg
CONTACTS
Mission Director
Howard Sumka
U.S. Embassy Tel Aviv
PSC 98/Box 0026
APO AE 09830
Tel: 972-3-511-4848
Fax: 972-3-511-4888
Desk Officer
Sara Borodin
Desk Officer
Tel: (202) 712-4836
Email: sborodin@usaid.gov
Sesame Street (“Shara’a Simsim” in Arabic) is a $2.4 million project, funded by USAID, that aims to provide high-quality educational programming for Palestinian children and to conduct educational outreach at the community level. (Photo: USAID) Overview
The United States is the leading provider of bilateral economic and development assistance to the Palestinians, having provided an estimated $2.9 billion since 1994 for programs in the areas of water and sanitation, infrastructure, education, health care, economic growth, and democracy. The United States also is committed to continuing assistance for basic human needs in both the West Bank and Gaza, including emergency food, health care, and access to safe water and sanitation systems. In Gaza, USAID works closely with the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) and local and international nongovernmental organizations.
Programs
Economic Growth
The USAID economic growth program promotes business and agricultural development and job creation through technical assistance and loan programs. USAID supports Palestinian efforts to increase exports, enable investment, generate employment, and improve quality standards. The U.S. Government is also easing the movement of Palestinian people and goods, while improving Israel’s security.
Infrastructure
Road, water, and school construction projects all contribute to improvements in the infrastructure sector. In the coming year, USAID has plans to construct more than 100 kilometers of main arterial and secondary road segments throughout the West Bank. In the water sector, USAID supports not only rapid response and emergency relief capabilities, but also fundamental infrastructure improvements, including expanding access to safe drinking water and sanitation in rural areas, reducing losses from aging water systems, constructing or expanding pipelines and reservoirs to improve water distribution, developing new water resources, and procuring water commodities and construction and engineering management services.
Humanitarian Assistance
To respond to emergencies and reduce poverty, the United States provides emergency food, health care, and access to safe water and sanitation to the people in the West Bank and Gaza. The U.S. Government also contributes to the WFP and to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency’s West Bank and Gaza Emergency Appeal. In 2009, USAID has provided approximately $24 million worth of assistance to vulnerable nonrefugee Palestinian families in the West Bank and Gaza. USAID also provides health and humanitarian assistance commodities, including pharmaceuticals, medical supplies, and nonfood items, to the people of Gaza.
Investing In People
USAID works to improve the ability of the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Health and local health care organizations to meet the public health needs of Palestinian families. Of particular concern is the health of the most vulnerable Palestinians, including women of reproductive age and children under five. USAID will construct three new health care facilities in the West Bank in the coming months.
USAID supports early childhood and basic education to help prepare Palestinian children for a more productive future. This year, USAID will focus on educational quality improvements in 40 public and 17 private schools. Complementary higher education and vocational programs improve the quality of teaching and learning and emphasize critical thinking. USAID will continue to rehabilitate schools and construct new ones to address the need for classroom space to support the rapidly growing population.
Peace and Security
With its border improvement projects, the United States is helping ease the movement of Palestinian people and goods, while improving Israel’s security. USAID is also assisting the Palestinian Monetary Authority and the Palestinian Captial Markets Authority in tracking financial transactions to prevent financial crimes and money laundering.
Governing Justly and Democratically
USAID programs promote respect for human rights, enforcement of the rule of law, and improvement in the Palestinian Authority’s ability to provide for the needs of the public. As a result of USAID support, more than 1,000 justice sector personnel were trained, and the case backlog was reduced by 50 percent. USAID programs also assist civil society organizations and media in holding government accountable and in building a constituency for reform. Finally, USAID provides assistance to the Central Elections Commission to help prepare for the upcoming election.
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