Italian Cooperation - Gerusalemme

NEWSLETTER n.8Emergency:Italy contributes € 1 millionfor Emergency InterventionsIn November, 2007 the Directorate General for Cooperation and Development(DGCS) of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs approvedthe amount of € 1 Million for an emergency multi-sector initiativewhich will be directly implemented by the Italian cooperation officeto mitigate the consequences of the intensifying humanitarian crisisin the West Bank.This Intervention comes to reinforce a previous € 2.6 million ItalianEmergency Contribution directly implemented by the Italian CooperationOffice in Jerusalem with the participation of Italian NGOs asimplementing partners for the execution of 12 projects, already enteredin their operative phase, to alleviate the consequences of theWall and other restrictions on the Palestinian People.The main objective of the new initiative is to give social, health andeconomic sustenance to the people living in villages and townstrapped in the “seam zone” (the land area in the West Bank locatedeast of the Green Line and west of Israel’s barrier).The € 1 Million intervention will focus mainly on the following activities:the Italian Cooperation Office in Jerusalem which will coordinate andharmonize the interventions with the ongoing Italian projects for thebenefit of the most vulnerable and deprived people in West Bank.1- Support to local authorities of villages and towns locatedin the seam zones in the delivering of basic services to theircommunities: the project will contribute to strengthen local healthcenters, provide emergency equipments, rehabilitate damaged infrastructures;improve school premises and enhance the managementof water, waste water and garbage.2- Deliver of Basic public services in the city of Ramallah .3- Build an Intermediate Processing Center endowed with facilitiesfor solid waste collection in the city of Bethlehem.4- Provide assistance and protection to women at social riskallowing the National Center for the protection and empowermentof women, the Mehwar center of Bethlehem funded by the ItalianCooperation, to operate in an utmost professional manner.5- Strength health services in Hebron districtThe new Italian emergency program will be directly implemented byPag. 5