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| PCHR Palestinian Centre for Human Rights PRESS RELEASE |
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Ref: 73/2005
Date: 22 June 2005
PCHR Organizes a Workshop in Deir al-Balah on Basic Services Provided by Municipalities
Attendants called for promoting the role of municipalities, developing performance in the field of public health, improving the quality of drinking water and an increase in the budgets assigned to municipalities.
Today, PCHR’s Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ESC) Unit organized a workshop on the role of municipalities in providing basic services, taking Deir al-Balah as an example. The workshop was held at Deir al-Balah Service Club. The mayor of Deir al-Balah, current and former members of the municipal council, representatives of NGOs and a number of interested parties participated in this workshop. The workshop aimed at highlighting basic services provided by the Municipality of Deir al-Balah, making a comparison between the situations in the past and following the election of the new municipal council in order to explore means of providing basic services in the best way.
In his opening remark, Khalil Shaheen, an ESC researcher for the PCHR, focused on the right to receive basic services under international human rights law. He particularly discussed the right to appropriate living conditions, which require receiving basic services, including public health, clean water, energy and emergency services. In addition, Mr. Shaheen discussed the right of health, considering that it includes receiving clean water, nutrition, healthy workplaces and a clean environment.
Eng. Hassan Barrak, Director of Water and Sewage Department at the Municipality of Deir al-Balah, discussed the problems faced by the Municipality in providing water and sewage services. He indicated that drinking water is salty and 50% of it is lost due to offences by some citizens. Eng. Barrak asserted that the Municipality makes efforts to improve the quality of water provided to citizens and increase the number of beneficiaries of the sewage system in the town.
Dr. Slemi Da’id, Director of Public Health Department at the Municipality of Deir al-Balah, indicated that there is a shortage in the number of sanitation workers; only 11 workers do the sanitation work in the whole town. He complained of the limited facilities available to public health, particularly the vehicles of garbage disposal. Dr. Sa’id asserted that the Municipality initiated a campaign to combat insects in the town.
Eng. Mahmoud Sha’ban, a specialist in water and infrastructure projects, focused on the weak performance of a number of members of the former municipal council and their absence from many of its meetings, which impacted the quality of services provided by the Municipality. He criticized the failure of the Municipality to deal with donors to implement infrastructure projects in the town, which impacted the solid waste project in the town. Eng. Sa’id also called for capacity building with the Municipality and allowing citizens to participate in the process of decision making, particularly with regard to basic services. He further called upon the Municipality to establish public and cultural facilities and draw more attention to marginalized areas.
In the conclusion of the workshop, the attendants held a discussion, in which they compliant of the continued suffering of citizens in Deir al-Balah due to the shortage of basic services, especially drinking water and facilities at the beach. The attendants called also upon the Palestinian National Authority, especially the Ministry of Local Government, to increase budgets devoted to municipalities in order for them to be able to carry out their duties in providing basic services. They also called for equality in providing drinking water, without depriving any area of water. They further called for allowing citizens to participate in the process of decision making, particularly with regard to basic services provided by the Municipality.
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Palestinian Centre for Human Rights
29 Omer El Mukhtar St., El Remal, PO Box 1328 Gaza, Gaza Strip tel/fax: +972 (0)8 282 4776 – 282 5893
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