The World Bank announced Tuesday that it was awarding grants totaling $73 million to Palestinian water and municipal services.
A grant of $25 million will go to the Water Security and Resilience Project and a second of $15 million is earmarked for the Resilient Municipal Services Project, both in the Palestinian territories.
The two grants will be bolstered by a further $33 million from the Partnership for Infrastructure Development Multi-Donor Trust Fund, which is administered by the World Bank.
“We are embarking on these much-needed coordinated efforts with our donor partners to deepen our development impact in providing and increasing a more stable supply of water and sustainable municipal services for the Palestinian people,” Stefan Emblad, World Bank Country Director for West Bank and Gaza, said in a statement released by the institution.
According to the World Bank, 80 percent of the Palestinian population has access to water, but the quality and available amount of drinking water per capita in the Palestinian territories do not meet World Health Organization standards.