Maamoun Abu Shahla (C), chairman of Give Palestine Association attends the signing ceremony of an agreement to implement a project for water desalination in the Gaza Strip, in Gaza City, Aug. 20, 2019. A Palestinian charity on Tuesday singed a deal with the al-Naser village in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, to build two China-funded water desalination plants to alleviate the shortage of potable water there. The agreement was signed by Give Palestine Association, a non-profit charity, and the municipality of al-Naser village to build the project, called "Life's Drops 1." (Xinhua/Stringer)
GAZA, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- A Palestinian charity on Tuesday signed a deal with the al-Naser village in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, to build two China-funded water desalination plants to alleviate the shortage of potable water there.
The agreement was signed by Give Palestine Association, a non-profit charity, and the municipality of al-Naser village to build the project, called "Life's Drops 1."
Maamoun Abu Shahla, chairman of Give Palestine Association, told Xinhua that about 10,000 people, the majority of whom are unemployed and suffer from economic crisis, will benefit from the project.
He noted that the plants were scheduled to begin operation in the next five months, adding that the water produced will be provided for free.
"China always helps and supports the Palestinian people, we can feel this with the funded projects that aim at sustainable development, which serves the people who live under hard living conditions in the Gaza Strip," he said.
Abu Shahla added that the Palestinian people need China's continued support to build institutions and infrastructure for development.
Give Palestine Association has already implemented a series of projects called "Light of Life," which have served various areas in the Gaza Strip since 2016.
Al-Naser Mayor Muhammed Ashour told Xinhua that the project is very important because it is going to serve the residents of a marginalized area, who are suffering from the lack of potable water.
Ashour thanked China for providing support to the people in the Gaza Strip, especially by funding sustainable development projects, such as power generation and water desalination.
A UN report warned that the Gaza Strip is facing a worsening water crisis that could render it unsuitable for living within a few years if the aid projects are not implemented.
Israel has imposed a tight blockade on the Palestinian coastal enclave since 2007 after the Islamic Hamas movement violently seized the control of Gaza from the Palestinian Authority.
