{"id":59299,"date":"2018-03-14T22:37:20","date_gmt":"2018-03-14T21:37:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ufmsecretariat.org\/media-advisory-gaza-conference-brussels\/"},"modified":"2018-03-14T22:37:20","modified_gmt":"2018-03-14T21:37:20","slug":"media-advisory-gaza-conference-brussels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ufmsecretariat.org\/ar\/media-advisory-gaza-conference-brussels\/","title":{"rendered":"MEDIA ADVISORY: Brussels to host a Pledging Conference for the \u201cDesalination Facility for the Gaza Strip\u201d project"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The European Commission and the\u00a0Government of Palestine, in partnership with the Union for the Mediterranean\u00a0(UfM),\u00a0\u00a0will host\u00a0on\u00a0<b>20 March, in Brussels<\/b>,\u00a0an international\u00a0donor Pledging Conference to\u00a0consolidate\u00a0high-level political and financial support to the\u00a0construction of a large-scale desalination plant\u00a0and its associated water supply infrastructure\u00a0in the Gaza Strip,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/ufmsecretariat.org\/ar\/project\/the-desalination-facility-for-the-gaza-strip-project\/?lang=the-desalination-facility-for-the-gaza-strip-project\">a UfM flagship project since 2011<\/a>.\u00a0<span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>The desalination\u00a0plant\u00a0will\u00a0supply drinking water to\u00a02\u00a0million Palestinian inhabitants, thereby\u00a0ensuring\u00a0a sustainable solution for the chronic and longstanding water shortage\u00a0and humanitarian\u00a0crisis\u00a0in the Gaza Strip, where over 95% of the water is not drinkable\u00a0due to the over-pumping of the Coastal Aquifer.<span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>The Donor Conference\u00a0will be opened by the\u00a0<b>Palestinian Prime Minister, Rami\u00a0<\/b><b>Hamdallah<\/b>\u00a0and\u00a0the\u00a0<b>EU Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, Johannes Hahn<\/b>, in\u00a0the\u00a0presence of\u00a0<b>UfM Deputy Secretary General for Water and Environment, Miguel Garc\u00eda-<\/b><b>Herraiz<\/b>.\u00a0It\u00a0will\u00a0bring together\u00a0representatives of up to 60 countries, international organisations and financial institutions active in supporting development projects in the region.\u00a0The Conference\u00a0will\u00a0take\u00a0place\u00a0back to back with the\u00a0meeting of the international donor group for Palestine,\u00a0the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC).<span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>ACCREDITATION DETAILS &#8211;\u00a0<\/b><b>Pledging C<\/b><b>onference\u00a0<\/b><b>\u201cDesalination Facility for the Gaza Strip\u201d project<\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:2,&quot;335551620&quot;:2,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Date<\/b>: 20 March\u00a02018. Brussels<br \/>\n<b>Press<\/b><b>\u00a0<\/b><b>p<\/b><b>rogramme<\/b><b>:<\/b><b>\u00a0<\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"-\" data-font=\"Calibri\" data-listid=\"3\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"0\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b>9<\/b><b>h<\/b><b>25<\/b><b>\u00a0Doorstep statements<\/b><b>.\u00a0<\/b><i>Berlaymont<\/i><i>\u00a0building, rue de la\u00a0<\/i><i>Loi<\/i><i>\u00a0200. Salle\u00a0<\/i><i>Schuhman<\/i><i>.<\/i><br \/>\n<b>09h30 Opening session<\/b><b>.<\/b><b>\u00a0<\/b>Only\u00a0photographers and cameramen\u00a0can enter the room at the beginning of the conference.\u00a0\u00a0<i>Berlaymont<\/i><i>\u00a0building, rue de la\u00a0<\/i><i>Loi<\/i><i>\u00a0200. Salle\u00a0<\/i><i>Schuhman<\/i><i>.<\/i><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><i>The opening statements will be webcast in the following\u00a0<\/i><i>link:\u00a0<\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/avservices\/ebs\/schedule.cfm\"><i>https:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/avservices\/ebs\/schedule.cfm<\/i><\/a><i>\u00a0<\/i><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"-\" data-font=\"Calibri\" data-listid=\"3\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"0\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b>13<\/b><b>h<\/b><b>20<\/b><b>\u00a0Pre<\/b><b>s<\/b><b>s\u00a0<\/b><b>Point<\/b>\u00a0on\u00a0the\u00a0AHLC Conference, with the announcement of\u00a0the outcomes of the Pledging Conference for the \u201cDesalination Facility for the Gaza Strip\u201d<b>.\u00a0<\/b><i>VIP corner,\u00a0<\/i><i>Berlaymont<\/i><i>\u00a0building<\/i><i>.<\/i><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233279&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Registration:<\/b><b><i>\u00a0<\/i><\/b><br \/>\n<i>Media representatives need to provide the following details by email to\u00a0<\/i><a href=\"mailto:media@ufmsecretariat.org\"><i>media@ufmsecretariat.org<\/i><\/a><i>\u00a0<\/i><b><i>before\u00a0<\/i><\/b><b><i>16<\/i><\/b><b><i><span data-fontsize=\"11\">\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/b><b><i>March\u00a0<\/i><\/b><b><i>\u00a0at\u00a0<\/i><\/b><b><i>\u00a012h00<\/i><\/b><i>: Full name, ID card number, ID expiry date, Date of birth, Mobile number,\u00a0 E-mail address, Nationality.<\/i><i>\u00a0The registration request will be shared and managed by the EEAS press service.<\/i><br \/>\n<span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Background<\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Availability of fresh water in the Gaza Strip, one of the most densely populated places in the planet, is\u00a0amongst the lowest in the world. Currently,\u00a02\u00a0million Palestinians in Gaza rely almost exclusively on the coastal aquifer as the only\u00a0source of freshwater\u00a0in the region,\u00a0which\u00a0is inadequate to meet demand from a quantitative and qualitative perspective. Only 3% of the water pumped from the aquifer\u00a0and consumed\u00a0by an ever-increasing population\u00a0complies with\u00a0the\u00a0World Health Organization drinking water quality standards.\u00a0<span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>The\u00a0overall programme, which requires a \u20ac562.3 million-investment,\u00a0will have a direct impact on the public health and the humanitarian situation of the\u00a0Gaza Strip\u00a0as well as\u00a0contribute to the regeneration and sustainability of the coastal aquifer. It\u00a0will also\u00a0provide prospects for jobs and economic development, thereby contributing to the stability of the region.<span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>In\u00a0June 2011, the 43 Member States of the Union for the\u00a0Mediterranean\u00a0unanimously endorsed the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/ufmsecretariat.org\/ar\/project\/the-desalination-facility-for-the-gaza-strip-project\/\">Desalination Facility for the Gaza Strip project<\/a>,\u00a0promoted by\u00a0the\u00a0Government of Palestine\u00a0as a strategic development project for the region. The project has been developed\u00a0in partnership with\u00a0all major\u00a0international\u00a0stakeholders, including the European Commission, the European Investment Bank, the Islamic Development Bank and the World Bank\u00a0as the\u00a0most sustainable\u00a0option to stabilise the aquifer and secure\u00a0the\u00a0water supply\u00a0of the Gaza Strip.\u00a0Currently,\u00a0the project\u00a0is ready for\u00a0implementation\u00a0having\u00a0achieved significant milestones in all\u00a0its\u00a0preparatory stages,\u00a0including\u00a0on\u00a0governance,\u00a0completion of\u00a0the required feasibility studies, as well as\u00a0solutions\u00a0for the energy supply\u00a0and the\u00a0financial mechanism for donor\u2019s\u00a0contributions.\u00a0<span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Media Contact &#8211; Union for the Mediterranean<\/b><br \/>\n<b>Isabel Pardillos<\/b><br \/>\n<a href=\"mailto:media@ufmsecretariat.org\">media@ufmsecretariat.org<\/a><br \/>\nT. +34 935 214 198<br \/>\nM. +34 692 975 676<span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:200,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Follow us:<\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/UfMSecretariat\">https:\/\/twitter.com\/UfMSecretariat<\/a><br \/>\n<\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ufmsecretariat\"><b>https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ufmsecretariat<\/b><\/a><b>\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The European Commission and the\u00a0Government of Palestine, in partnership with the Union for the Mediterranean\u00a0(UfM),\u00a0\u00a0will host\u00a0on\u00a020 March, in Brussels,\u00a0an international\u00a0donor Pledging Conference to\u00a0consolidate\u00a0high-level political and financial support to the\u00a0construction of a large-scale desalination plant\u00a0and its associated water supply infrastructure\u00a0in the Gaza Strip,\u00a0a UfM flagship project since 2011.\u00a0\u00a0 The desalination\u00a0plant\u00a0will\u00a0supply drinking water to\u00a02\u00a0million Palestinian inhabitants, thereby\u00a0ensuring\u00a0a<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/ufmsecretariat.org\/ar\/media-advisory-gaza-conference-brussels\/\" class=\"more\">\u0625\u0642\u0631\u0623 \u0627\u0644\u0645\u0632\u064a\u062f<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[40],"tags":[],"priority-area":[],"class_list":["post-59299","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-40"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ufmsecretariat.org\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59299","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ufmsecretariat.org\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ufmsecretariat.org\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ufmsecretariat.org\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ufmsecretariat.org\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=59299"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ufmsecretariat.org\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59299\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ufmsecretariat.org\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=59299"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ufmsecretariat.org\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=59299"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ufmsecretariat.org\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=59299"},{"taxonomy":"priority-area","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ufmsecretariat.org\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/priority-area?post=59299"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}