Environmental clean-up campaign in Gaza ACTIVITIES • Jobs Opportunities through Basic Services • Emergency Assistance - RAFEED RELATED ITEMS • "Spotlight" on ANERA • Emergency Response - Part 4: Community Services Programs Become a Source of Emergency Employment • More Features... RELATED PROGRAM INFORMATION • Program Budget • Program Partners • Business Opportunities • Completed Activities

• The West Bank and Gaza have long struggled with inadequate public services. While the demand for services has increased, existing services have severely deteriorated
• Primary and secondary health care services do not meet regional standards and many clinics are not connected to permanent electrical power supply.
• Elementary schools are severely overcrowded, with an average of 50 students per class. Most schools are operating on double and even triple sessions. Many schools lack safe playground facilities and have inadequate sanitation.
• Since the beginning of the Al Aqsa Intifada, the rate of unemployment rose from 10% to 34% in 2002. In 2004, 28 % of Palestinians are unemployed. The percentage of the population living in poverty (under $2/day) rose from 20% to 50% during the same four-year period.
• According to the World Bank, as of December 2001, Intifada-related income losses were about $2.4 billion and physical infrastructure damages were valued at $305 million. Since then income losses and damages have increased considerably.
• Recent violence has destroyed thousands of roof-top water tanks creating a dire emergency for tens of thousands of Palestinians. They join the ranks of the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who never had access to running water.

USAID Responds

Since 1999, the Community Services Program (CSP) has contributed to improving the quality of life of Palestinians in under-served communities in the West Bank and Gaza. The program responds to the growing gap between the supply and demand of basic community services that cannot be met by local municipalities or other means. Activities fall under three objectives: upgrading basic infrastructure; providing training and income generating opportunities; and improving the capacity of local entities to provide sustainable community services. USAID has provided grants to the UN, US private voluntary organizations (USPVOs) and their Palestinian non-governmental organization partners to build classrooms, refurbish community centers and playgrounds, upgrade health clinics, develop waste management campaigns, and build and pave local roads. Since 1999, during the first two phases of CSP, $68.7 million were provided to implement activities in rural areas and geographically clustered villages.

Since the start of the Intifada in September 2000, the most direct economic hardship has been the loss of thousands of jobs. USAID, together with its partners, focused the community services program on generating a high number of both skilled and unskilled jobs. The Emergency Employment Generation Program (EEGP) began in June 2001 and has provided over $17.8 million in grants to USPVOs and UNDP for the immediate creation of short-term employment opportunities. In addition to jobs and improved infrastructure, many of the programs offer literacy, vocational, and skills-based training.

With continuing closures and curfews, a virtual collapse of the Palestinian economy, and an escalating humanitarian crisis, USAID made an additional $61.4 million available in September 2002 to expand its emergency employment programs. The new funds support Job Opportunities through Basic Services (JOBS), a program that anticipates creating nearly 1 million person-days of work to unemployed Palestinians through the funding of improvements to the infrastructure and social services in Palestinian villages, towns, and municipalities. Other emergency resources have been programmed to respond rapidly to urgent needs such as water tank and road repair. In addition, RAFEED, a $17.2 million program, has been created to help Palestinian NGOs to do emergency and humanitarian assistance work.

Despite the many challenges posed by the Intifada, community involvement remains the bedrock of the Community Services Program. Communities are involved in all aspects of its activities: identifying and prioritizing needs, overseeing implementation, contributing in cash or kind, and ensuring the operation and maintenance of the facilities constructed under the program.

Results

• The Community Services Program operates in 302 Communities serving more than 1.2 million beneficiaries in the West Bank and Gaza.
• 1,281 educational rooms and 396 kindergartens, 173 youth centers, 95 community and women centers were constructed and/or renovated along with 63,761 square meters of playgrounds.
• 379 public and private buildings were made accessible to people with disabilities.
• 43 health clinics were built or upgraded.
• 977,354 trainee hours have been conducted to increase business, computer, literacy, management, and other skills with many specifically targeting women, youth, and the disabled.
• 211 kilometers of roads were built or repaired along with 498 kilometers of agricultural access roads.
• 991 water cisterns were constructed.
• 740 water catchments were constructed and/ or developed.
• 3,293 square meters of agricultural land were reclaimed.
• More than 2.5 million person-days of employment have been created.

Last updated: October 26, 2004