Ramallah, West Bank – The American Consulate General in Jerusalem and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) West Bank and Gaza Mission announce the donation of $10 million to the United Nations Development Programme for the removal of rubble in Gaza. This donation fulfills part of a pledge made by Secretary of State John Kerry at the October 2014 Gaza Donors Conference in Cairo.

The U.S. Government, through USAID, has pledged $10 million to assist in the Gaza Emergency Removal and Crushing of Rubble and Debris Management Project, which is being implemented by the United Nations Development Program.  The U.S. Government’s investment will result in the safe removal of 649,177 tons of rubble and waste material from destroyed public and private buildings in areas throughout the Gaza Strip.  These efforts will facilitate work by the Palestinian Water Authority and the Coastal Municipalities Water Utility to assess and repair infrastructure buried beneath the rubble and restore essential water and sanitation services.  The U.S. Government’s contribution to the rubble removal initiative will also generate approximately 116,852 days of employment and bring immediate relief to more than one million Palestinians living in the affected areas in Gaza.

At the October 2014 Gaza Donors Conference in Cairo, Secretary of State John Kerry announced $414 million in U.S. assistance to the Palestinians which included $212 million to be delivered through USAID.  The $10 million for rubble removal is part of this commitment.  At that conference, Secretary Kerry also designated$25 million in financial support for the six hospitals in the East Jerusalem Hospital Network and $20 million for direct humanitarian assistance in Gaza. The money for the hospitals was transferred in November.  The U.S. Government will deliver additional funds to support critically needed relief and early recovery efforts in Gaza as it remains committed to continuing to address the needs of the Palestinian people. 

The U.S. Government, through USAID, is the leading provider of bilateral development assistance to the Palestinians, having provided more than $4.6 billion since 1994 for programs in the areas of democracy and governance; education; health and humanitarian assistance; private enterprise; and water resources and infrastructure.