To alleviate the suffering conditions and to get better living conditions, the southern Gaza councils (Khan Younis, Rafah, and Middle Area Governorates) have decided a give a high priority to the waste collection and its improvement. The Ministry of local government, with the financial support of France and the European member states, supports the implementation of the local councils’ strategies and will hand over to the Joint Service Council crucial equipment. Working closely with the Palestinian authorities and the Joint Service Council, the two donors finance equipment, investment and capacity building,  

Therefore, under the auspices of His Excellency Dr. Hussain Al-A’raj, Minister of Local Government and Chairman of the Municipal Development & Lending Fund (MDLF), and in the presence of His Excellency the Consul General of the Republic of France Mr. Pierre Cochard, and the representatives from the European Union (EU), and the French Development Agency (AFD),, a handing over protocol took place today of 10 collection trucks for the favour of the Joint Service Council (JSC) for Solid Waste Management in Southern Gaza Strip.

H.E. Mr. Pierre Cochard congratulated the Palestinian People in his opening statement and highlighted that the new equipment will provide great leverage towards the improvement of JSC’s solid waste collection services for the people in the middle and southern governorates within the overall Solid Waste Management Program currently supported by the EU, AFD, and the World Bank Group. He also insisted on the necessity to work on the reinforcement of financial and institutional sustainability.

MDLF Director General, Dr. Tawfiq Al-Budeiri expressed MDLF commitment to continuing the implementation of project components to the highest standards, stating that the cost of the new refuse collection trucks reached 1.2 million Euros, financed by the French Development Agency (AFD) and the European Union (EU). These new trucks consist of 7 compactor type trucks and 3 roll-on/roll-off trucks shall support and replace the already exhausted old fleet the JSC had been operating since the mid 1990’s, yet with new operational plans and refined vision that goes hand in hand with the other developments currently underway through the Gaza Solid Waste Management Project that shall serve 800,000 people in the Middle and Southern Governorates of Gaza Strip.

AFD new Country Director, Ms. Bonnaud, who is visitng Gaza for the first time, expressed her best wishes for the successful implementation of all project components stating that the new trucks shall complement the new infrastructure facilities constructed by the project especially the new state of the art sanitary landfill – currently under construction – where the handing over ceremony took place today, looking forward to the full realisation of project goal and objectives.

Financed by the French Development Agency (AFD), the European Union (EU), and the World Bank Group (WBG) , the Gaza Solid Waste Management Project in the southern region of Gaza Strip is a comprehensive strategic infrastructure and capacity building project implemented by MDLF targeting the middle and southern Gaza Strip served by the Joint Service Council for Solid Waste Management in Khan Younis, Rafah, and Middle Area Governorates (JSC-KRM); an area comprising 64% of Gaza Strip’s total geographic area inhabited by 46% of the total Gaza Strip’s population.