EU gives EUR 4 mln to Palestinian territories to deal with water scarcity

EU gives EUR 4 mln to Palestinian territories to deal with water scarcity

BRUSSELS, July 13 (KUNA) -- The EU Commission announced Wednesday the allocation of EUR four million to address water scarcity, which is affecting people in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Rainfall in the area is 59 percent down from the rainy season average and the drought is testing the resilience of many Palestinian communities with water and fodder shortages, said the EU's executive body in a statement.
"The rainfall deficit by itself puts at risk the livelihoods of many Palestinians, for instance those who make a living by herding," said Kristalina Georgieva, EU Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response.
"But the drought is particularly painful when it hits people whose access to water is already very limited by the occupation in the West Bank and by the Gaza Strip blockade," she said.
"While many wells and other water sources are drying out, the occupation prevents Palestinian herders and their livestock from accessing some water points, which have not been as badly affected. The problem is particularly acute for the Bedouin communities," the EU Commissioner noted.
The EU funding will provide water for around 50,000 people and their livestock in the West Bank.