A € 10 million desalination project for the Gaza Strip was launched on 12 December 2011 by the European Union (EU) as part of its latest contribution to supporting the Palestinian Authority.
The acting EU representative, John Gatt-Rutter, signed a memorandum of understanding with the head of the Palestinian Water Authority as well as representatives of the Coastal Municipalities Water Utility and UNICEF to note the agreement for the short-term low- volume desalination facility that will be constructed in the Gaza Strip over the coming three years.
The EU says that, as identified in a study of comparative options for water resources (June 2011), this medium-term intervention responds to the humanitarian water crisis in Gaza. Once completed, it will provide safe water for drinking and domestic use to about 75,000 inhabitants in Khan Younis and Rafah Governorates in the Gaza Strip.
The EU also established a diploma programme at the Palestinian Judicial Institute.