A delegation of diplomats and donors reviews the water and sanitation situation at Al-Wafiya station in Khan Younis and hears about the Utility's needs of $70 million annually to operate the facilities.
Eng. Al-Najjar Briefs Donors and International Institutions on the Water and Sanitation Situation in the Gaza Strip
Gaza – CMWU
A number of representatives of diplomatic missions and donors to the State of Palestine visited Al-Wafiya sewage station in Khan Younis governorate to review the water and sanitation situation in that area, with the delegation received by Eng. Maher Al-Najjar, CMWU's Deputy Director-General for Planning and Projects, accompanied from CMWU by Eng. Yasmin Bashir and Eng. Mo'taz Abu Al-Qumbuz from the Utility's Planning and Projects Department.
During the visit, Eng. Maher Al-Najjar gave a comprehensive explanation, briefing the visiting delegations on the state of the water and sanitation sector in the Strip and the needs required to advance this sector.
Eng. Maher Al-Najjar affirmed that CMWU, in cooperation with the Water Authority and with support from partner donor institutions, was able to complete numerous strategic projects, and these projects are now about to begin operation according to the operation and maintenance plan developed by CMWU, noting that the operation plan for these facilities needs an annual budget estimated at about $70 million to cover the operating and maintenance expenses of these facilities.
Al-Najjar stressed, in his talk to the visitors, that CMWU annually prepares to receive the rainy season by maintaining pumps, supplying spare parts, and supplying the fuel needed to operate the generators and mobile pumps, in order to ease the negative effects resulting from rainfall, but unfortunately this year only limited funding has been available, from NRC and GVC, and this is not enough to ease the effects resulting from the rainy season, calling on all institutions to support the Utility to help it carry out its responsibilities in order to serve residents and protect them and their property from the potential effects of flooding during the winter season.
The meeting included some interventions and inquiries from the visiting delegations, which Eng. Maher Al-Najjar answered, and at the end of the meeting, Eng. Al-Najjar thanked all the attendees and representatives of international and local institutions for their support and backing and standing by our people to advance the two extremely important sectors of water and sanitation.
