In his opening statement on the occasion of launching the construction of the new sanitary landfill in the Southern Gaza, H.E. Dr. Hussain Al-A’raj, Minister of Local Government and Chairman of the Municipal Development and Lending Fund (MDLF), highlighted the strategic importance of the Gaza Solid Waste Management Project (Gaza SWMP) that will serve about half of the population in the Gaza Strip (800,000). The civil works contract that was signed today is the key milestone of a programme aiming at improving solid waste management services and disposal in Gaza Strip Governorates of Khan Younis, Rafah, and Middle Area. Dr. Tawfiq Al-Budeiri, MDLF Director General, informed that the contract for constructing the new sanitary landfill at Al-Fukhari in the Southern Gaza Strip was awarded to a Consortium of Palestinian and Greek construction companies (Masoud & Ali and Partners Contracting Company & Mesogeos Contracting Commercial Real Estate Societe) for an amount of EURO 8.8 million.