Water Resources and Infrastructure

• New School and Water Network Improve Life in Southern West Bank: The Emergency Water and Sanitation and Other Infrastructure (EWAS) program, implemented by ANERA, renovated the facilities of a girls’ school in Al Rihieh, a poor community in the Hebron District in the West Bank. USAID’s $80,000 contribution helped fix windows and rehabilitate classrooms to improve the educational environment for the school’s 430 students.  USAID also contributed $100,000 through EWAS to provide a water network for 5,000 people living in the Bedouin community of Al Jiftlik in the Jordan Valley.

Economic Development

• Jalameh Crossing Improvements Boost Economy in the Northern West Bank:  The official opening of the Jalameh Vehicle Crossing between Israel and the Northern West Bank on November 10 was attended by Israeli, Palestinian, and U.S. officials, as well as Quartet Representative Tony Blair.  As a result of the USAID-funded upgrades through the Palestinian Integrated Trade Arrangement (PITA) program, implemented by Chemonics International, Arab Israelis can drive from Israel through the Jalameh Crossing into Jenin for the first time since 2001.  The opening of the crossing has already stimulated the economy in the Northern West Bank. Surveys conducted by USAID found that the crossing facilitated over $300,000 in sales in the Northern West Bank in a single week.  It is expected that USAID’s $1.75 million investment will help facilitate more than $15 million in sales in the Northern West Bank in the first year.  The Palestinian Integrated Trade Arrangement (PITA) provides technical assistance and security technology at the critical crossings between Israel and the West Bank and Gaza to improve Palestinian trade and the movement of people and goods, while addressing legitimate Israeli security concerns.

• Reducing Money Laundering:  The USAID Modernizing Financial Institutions program, implemented by Louis Berger, hosted a workshop in coordination with Palestinian Capital Market Authority (PCMA) titled “Anti-Money Laundering for Non-Banking Institutions.”  Over 40 senior managers from the largest Palestinian insurance and securities companies, as well as the leadership of the Palestinian Stock exchange, attended the workshop.  Additional workshops with PCMA are planned for January and early February. 

Democracy and Governance

• Vulnerable Families in Gaza Received Mother-Child Stress Relief Kits: Under a grant by USAID’s Civic Engagement Program, implemented by ARD, Save the Children Federation (SCF-US) completed the distribution of 1072 Mother-to-Child Stress Relief Kits to preschool children in the Gaza Strip. The project targets under 5 year-old children whose mothers benefit from the SCF-US psychosocial support program.  This assistance contributes to alleviating the suffering of children and families in Gaza who were most affected by the recent conflict.

• Palestine Postal Service Awarded an International Mail Processing Center Code:  As a result of support from the USAID Palestinian Authority Capacity Enhancement Program (PACE), implemented by Chemonics International, the Palestine Postal Service was awarded an International Mail Processing Center Code by the Universal Postal Union. This allows the Palestine Postal Service to send and receive mail directly to and from other postal administrations around the world, rather than through Israel.  It also enables the Palestine Postal Service to receive payment from other postal administrations to facilitate delivery of incoming international mail to addresses in the West Bank and Gaza.  Previously, the Israeli Postal Service received the payments.