Health and Humanitarian Assistance

• Professional Development of Ministry of Health Staff Becomes Transparent: The Ministry of Health (MoH) adopted a transparent and needs-based selection process for training, fellowships, and professional development as a result of strategic guidance provided by USAID’s Palestinian Health Sector Reform and Development Project (The Flagship Project), implemented by Chemonics International. Selection for training, fellowships and professional development, both inside and outside of West Bank and Gaza, had been done on an ad-hoc and personal basis. The new process, adopted by the MoH, sets clear selection criteria and a transparent recruitment process to ensure that all staff enjoy equal opportunity for training and professional development.

Water Resources and Infrastructure

• Palestinian Prime Minister Celebrates Completion of USAID Projects in Northern West Bank: Under the Infrastructure Needs Program (INP), USAID and the Palestinian Authority celebrated the completion of $31.9 million of construction projects in the northern West Bank. Palestinian Authority (PA) Prime Minister Salam Fayyad attended the inauguration ceremony at Arrabeh Municipal Park in the northern part of the West Bank. US Consul General Daniel Rubinstein, the USAID Mission Director, the Minister of Public Works and Housing, the Minister of Planning, the Jenin Governor, and other Palestinian officials attended the ceremony. The event was well covered in the Palestinian press. Projects included 33 km of asphalt roads, four schools benefiting 1,840 students per year, and a water system project providing water for up to 20,000 residents in underserved rural villages.
  
  
• New Water Network for Mount Jerzim: Under the Emergency Water and Sanitation and Other Infrastructure Program, implemented by ANERA, USAID and the Palestinian Authority celebrated the inauguration of a new water project in Mount Jerzim in the Nablus Governorate. Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, US Consul General Daniel Rubenstein, and the USAID Mission Director attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony along with Palestinian Authority representatives, Palestinian dignitaries, and representatives of the Samaritan community. USAID contributed more than $120,000 for the replacement of the Mount Jerzim Water Network. The project provided 735 members of the Samaritan community access to clean and potable water. The project created 820 person-days of employment for local workers. Before the implementation of the project, the Samaritan community relied mainly on a crippling water network that resulted in water pollution and wasted a considerable amount of water through leakages.

Democracy and Governance

• Ministry of Justice Lawyers Take Part in Legislative Process Training: Under USAID’s Justice and Enforcement Rule of Law Program, implemented by DPK, 20 Ministry of Justice legal staff took part in a four-day training focusing on policy development. The course included theoretical and practical approaches to the legislative process and will assist trainees in their review of legislative drafts.

Youth and Education

• Stimulating Thinking and Creativity in Elementary Students: The Model Schools Network Program, implemented by AMIDEAST, has started with its second year of the Youth Enrichment Program (YEP) extracurricular activities for 17 private schools. School visits to Al-Quds University Math and Science Museums were organized for students from grades 1-9. The aim of the visits is to stimulate creativity and thinking in students and increase awareness of the importance of museums in the educational process.