CMWU participates in a workshop by the International Committee of the Red Cross to develop an emergency plan for working during aggression, with the participation of the Water Authority and municipalities.
CMWU Participates in a Workshop Organized by the International Committee of the Red Cross to Develop an Emergency Plan for Working during Aggression
CMWU - Gaza
CMWU participated in a workshop organized by the International Committee of the Red Cross to develop an emergency plan for working during aggression and provide the capabilities to secure a minimum level of water and sanitation services for residents in the Gaza Strip, by repairing damage to the infrastructure and operating the water and sanitation systems.
The workshop was attended by the Palestinian Water Authority, the Ministry of Local Government, and numerous mayors and directors from various municipalities of the Strip, and was opened by Eng. Monther Shoblaq, CMWU's Director-General, who thanked all attendees, noting the importance of participating in the workshop to come out with a comprehensive, effective plan.
Eng. Rebhi Al-Sheikh, Deputy Chairman of the Palestinian Water Authority, spoke in his remarks about the importance of cooperation to complete an emergency response plan agreed upon by everyone, with everyone fully prepared to implement it, and Al-Sheikh praised the efforts made by everyone during previous incursions into the Gaza Strip and the ability to confront numerous problems and difficulties, and affirmed that work is done better when there is a clear plan through which needs and the levels of coordination required between working institutions are identified, and enables donor institutions to provide them with full support.
For his part, Eng. Sufyan Abu Samra, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Local Government, thanked the International Committee of the Red Cross and all participants, stressing the importance of everyone's participation in developing an integrated plan so the municipalities and concerned parties can meet the needs of areas and workers during crises.
In his remarks, Mr. Mamadou Sow, Director of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Gaza, expressed his happiness at being in the Gaza Strip and the Red Cross's participation with local institutions in developing an emergency response plan, and affirmed the Red Cross's full readiness to always provide support, and Mamadou pointed, in his remarks, to the fierce war the Gaza Strip experienced in the summer of 2014 and the great response from everyone to ease residents' suffering and work in difficult places despite the great challenges and risks facing them.
Eng. Monther Shoblaq presented the draft short- and long-term emergency response plan for the basic water and sanitation service needs of Gaza Strip residents during aggression, prepared by CMWU in cooperation with the Water Authority, the Ministry of Local Government, and the Red Cross, through which he explained the required interventions, most importantly assessing damage through local engineers and operating and maintaining vital facilities damaged by aggression, especially in places that need coordination, and also gave an explanation of the plan and mechanisms for communication and coordination between the active institutions in the water and sanitation sector and the readiness needs of emergency material stockpiles and emergency warehouses in each governorate, and preparing maps of infrastructure and warehouses and forming operations rooms in the various governorates.
The participants praised the initiative in preparing the emergency readiness plan during aggression, then the floor was opened for discussion on the contents of the plan presented, while affirming the necessity of holding dialogues between mayors and the water and sanitation department administrations in the municipalities to determine needs, discuss the emergency plan, and present proposals for adoption by everyone, and also presented numerous technical proposals and stressed the necessity of providing the material needs for warehouses, various means of communication, and the fuel necessary to operate the facilities.
It is noted in this context the great role played by the International Committee of the Red Cross in providing support for the emergency response during and after the last aggression on the Gaza Strip.
