ReliefWeb

During a visit to the Dr. Khalil Suleiman Hospital in the West Bank town of Jenin, Secretary Rice announced that the U.S. is increasing its development assistance to the Jenin Governorate, providing more than $14 million in new projects to benefit the people of Jenin. These projects will be implemented by the U.S. Agency for International Development and will include support in areas such as governance and community support, road rehabilitation, rehabilitation of water and sanitation facilities, and economic development and revitalization programs. This latest round of assistance builds on an initial U.S. effort to support the Palestinian Authority's efforts to encourage development in Jenin. That first round of projects totaling $3 million was announced in May and is currently underway.

The $14 million in projects will include:

Roads: USAID plans to rehabilitate the road from Arabeh intersection to Ya'bad ($8,000,000) and from Al-Badan to Jaba'a ($3,000,000).

Schools: USAID will build a new co-educational elementary school in Jalboon ($2,000,000).

Water and Sanitation: USAID will rehabilitate and expand water systems in Jenin, providing more access to safe drinking water for its residents ($200,000).

Economic Development: USAID will invest in several economic development projects, including efforts to recapitalize industrial and agricultural businesses ($300,000), revitalize and enhance the competitiveness of Jenin businesses ($150,000), and sponsor the "Jenin is Back in Business" market to highlight local production, trade, and small enterprises ($50,000).

Governance and Community Support: USAID plans to provide approximately $700,000 to rehabilitate and improve schools, parks, and community centers in and around Jenin in cooperation with local municipalities. They will be rehabilitating roads in Deir Ghazala by adding retaining walls and curbstones ($150,000), building additional classrooms at the Al Taybeh School ($200,000), constructing youth and sports facilities ($290,000), and sponsoring town hall meetings in North East Jenin Village to discuss their needs and those of surrounding villages and create a priority list for future projects ($60,000).

Rule of Law: USAID will provide $50,000 to support the Jenin Court to strengthen the criminal and civil judicial systems.

Youth: USAID will provide $15,000 to develop and implement joint youth programs and initiatives and will also cover enhanced internet service to the Youth Development Resource Centers in the West Bank under the U.S.-Palestinian Partnership initiative.