Biweekly Report on CMWU's Daily Interventions During the War on Gaza

Biweekly Report on CMWU's Daily Interventions During the War on Gaza

Since the start of the brutal aggression on the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023, the emergency plan updated in 2022 was activated.

CMWU, in coordination with all relevant parties, has been working to ensure the continuation of water and sanitation services at a minimum level for all residents of the Gaza Strip, in cooperation with the Palestinian Water Authority, the Ministry of Local Government, and partners among international organizations such as UNICEF, the Red Cross, and UNRWA.

CMWU's crews were able to accomplish the following:

• During the first three days, the distribution of 50,000 liters of diesel fuel from the emergency stock was completed, via the water utility's fuel distribution tanker, distributing it to water and sanitation facilities in all municipalities.
• 4,200 liters of diesel fuel were supplied for operating the water desalination plants in the Central and Southern areas on Friday, October 20, 2023.

On Thursday, 19/10/2023, verbal approval was obtained from the Red Cross to allow CMWU and the municipalities (through CMWU) to:

1) Purchase the facilities' diesel needs from private-sector suppliers after agreeing on price and quantity via a memorandum of understanding with each supplier on price and quantity, approved by CMWU and coordinated in advance with the Red Cross, with supplier dues to be paid by the Red Cross after the war ends.

2) The possibility of contracting under the same mechanism to supply desalinated water to schools and shelter centers through private-sector distributors.

A memorandum of understanding between the Red Cross and CMWU on this matter was later prepared, with CMWU and numerous municipalities benefiting from this agreement.

• On Sunday, 22-10-2023, the distribution of 20,000 liters of diesel fuel supplied by UNRWA was completed, via the water utility's fuel distribution tanker, distributing it to water and sanitation facilities in the municipalities of the Central Governorate and Khan Younis and Rafah governorates.
• CMWU's water tankers, in cooperation with UNICEF and UNRWA, are distributing desalinated water from seawater desalination plants to Agency schools and some government schools where displaced persons are located, across the Central, Khan Younis, and Rafah governorates.
• On Sunday, 22-10-2023, the second connection between the Mekorot line and the water distribution and supply network in Khan Younis was completed; unfortunately, however, water flow from the line on the Israeli side stopped, and the various parties were notified of this. Contacts succeeded in restoring water pumping. It is worth noting that the first connection was completed on Friday, 20-10-2023, by the water utility's mobile maintenance team, in coordination with Khan Younis Municipality.
• Contact was made with the Quartet and USAID via a joint phone call with the Water Authority to determine fuel-related requirements, with emphasis on the urgent need to open the Mekorot line at the Bani Suheila connection for the Central Governorate, similarly to the Bani Suheila connection, with follow-up ongoing by the Water Authority in cooperation with CMWU.
• Fuel and desalination and water disinfection chemical needs were obtained from UNICEF for the next four months.
• A list of essential facilities and their coordinates was sent to the Water Authority in Ramallah, at their request, for fuel supply purposes, to share with partner international donor organizations.
• CMWU maintains close follow-up with the Red Cross regarding various field activities and the preparation and review of various procurement and supply lists needed for relief and medical operations relating to the water and sanitation sector.
• Field teams are carrying out possible maintenance work on damaged facilities using materials available in the emergency warehouses, working to bring them back into operation wherever possible, given the extremely dangerous field working conditions.
• Emergency teams are recording, documenting, and cataloguing possible damage and sharing it with partners.
• An agreement was reached with Abdel Salam Yassin Company to supply 69 cubic meters of drinking water daily to 27 shelter centers in Rafah for a period of 50 days starting Sunday, 22-10-2023, through the Friends of the Environment Association.
• A list of materials needed specifically for generator maintenance was prepared and shared with UNICEF and the Red Cross, as well as a list of materials needed for general maintenance works, which was shared with the Quartet.
• Daily contact is maintained with UNICEF and UNRWA to ensure the continuation of the diesel fuel supply process according to the agreed and approved list of water and sanitation facilities with the WASH cluster, to supply it with diesel fuel in emergencies.

On Monday, 23/10/2023, intensive and serious contacts were made by CMWU's Executive Director with UNRWA and UNICEF to ensure the Agency's commitment to the daily supply of diesel fuel, when available, to CMWU, under the supervision of UNICEF as the organization responsible for the WASH cluster. UNICEF's representatives were informed that a delay in diesel fuel supply by UNRWA would lead to further complications in the ability of CMWU and the municipalities to provide the minimum level of water supply services and prevent sewage overflow in some areas, particularly amid what the residents of the Gaza Strip are being subjected to in terms of bombardment, destruction, and massacres, and being forced to leave their homes and be displaced toward the central and southern governorates. CMWU holds the two international organizations responsible for the catastrophic consequences of this delay, and the Utility will draft a public statement on the matter if the delay in diesel fuel supply continues…

At the end of the phone meeting, the following measures were agreed upon:

• The quantities of diesel fuel required will be reviewed to include wells, some sewage pumping stations, seawater desalination plants, desalinated water transport tankers, and water pumping stations, with the transmission lines from the desalination plants to the mixing tanks to be operated to serve some western areas of Khan Younis and Rafah.
• The five governorates will be covered with diesel fuel.
• CMWU will take responsibility, in coordination with the municipalities, for recording diesel meter readings at all facilities to be supplied with diesel fuel, and sending them to UNICEF for monitoring and follow-up purposes regarding diesel fuel consumption.
• Agreement that the diesel fuel would be received tomorrow, once the quantity is finally agreed upon tonight, and distributed to the facilities mentioned above.
• On Tuesday, October 24, 25,600 liters of diesel fuel were received through UNICEF and will be distributed tomorrow, Wednesday, to water and sanitation facilities across the entire Gaza Strip as follows:

12,000 liters for water wells
5,000 liters for sanitation stations
2,500 liters for the Al-Bassa desalination plant
2,500 liters for the Southern desalination plant
600 liters for desalinated water distribution vehicles
3,000 liters for the desalination plant to pump water through the networks.

In parallel with all the work related to ensuring the services provided to residents, the Financial and Administrative Affairs Department accomplished the following:

1. During the first week of the war on Gaza, 60%, with a minimum of 1,400 shekels, of the September salary was disbursed to Rafah headquarters staff, despite the lack of financial resources in the Rafah collection account, with the payroll supported from other financial resources available in the Utility's unified account.

2. At the beginning of the second week of the war on Gaza, a lump sum of 1,300 shekels was disbursed as a payment from the September salary to the staff of the East Al-Bureij treatment plant, from the financial resources available in the Utility's unified account, due to the delayed arrival of the financial transfer from the German company Dorsch's account.

3. On October 22, a lump sum of 150 shekels was disbursed to all CMWU staff and workers as a grant from Bank of Jerusalem, through the efforts of His Excellency the Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Intensive efforts will continue, with the participation of senior management, to secure financial resources from the Water Authority, donors, and partners, to secure the operating expenses necessary to operate the water facilities and the salaries and wages of the Utility's staff and workers for the current month of October.

October 24, 2023

Today, Wednesday, 25/10/2023, quantities of diesel fuel were delivered to Gaza and Jabalia (through Gaza Municipality) and the rest of the areas yesterday and today.

Thanks be to God — stay well and safe.