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Qatar Charity (QC) and the ministry of public works and housing in Gaza have signed two agreements for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of 200 housing units for poor people and those with disabilities at a cost of around QR 20.5mn. |
The agreements involve the provision of a source of solar energy or alternative sources of energy, and a project to rebuild and equip the Ministry of Finance building in the Gaza Strip.
The agreements are part of a programme funded by the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) for the reconstruction of Gaza in co-operation with the Islamic Development Bank in Jeddah and were signed by the minister of public works and housing Dr Yousef al-Ghrez, and deputy director of QC’s Gaza Strip Office Mohamed Abu Halloub, on behalf of assistant executive director for international development and director of the QC office Ibrahim Zainal, during a meeting which was held at the ministry’s headquarters in Gaza.
The meeting was attended by officials from both sides including the assistant undersecretary of the ministry Naji Sarhan, director of the office of the minister, Mohammed al-Askari, engineer and technical advisor to the minister, Dr Jihad al-Agha, QC construction programmes officer, engineer Imad Qasim, QC social programmes officer, Mahmoud Abu Khalifa, and finance officer at QC Gaza office, Wael al-Banna.
Zainal explained that the projects resulted from QC’s desire to benefit the largest possible number of people and they complement the housing projects carried out by QC over the past two years and funded by GCC for the reconstruction of Gaza, in co-operation with the Islamic Development Bank in Jeddah. These projects included the reconstruction and rehabilitation of 75 houses for the poor as well as the reconstruction and rehabilitation of 20 houses for families whose houses were destroyed during the war on Gaza in 2008, with funding from the Organisation of the Islamic Dawa and QC.
Zainal added that quality was a major focus for the projects as was the diversity of activities, including construction, rehabilitation and restoration according to the specific needs of the families, which include families containing members who have disabilities.
“The second project, which includes the reconstruction and equipping of the ministry of finance, is part of QC’s endeavour to support Palestinian institutions to perform the duties assigned to them and provide quality services to the people,” Zainal said.
Al-Ghrez expressed his sincere gratitude and appreciation for QC’s efforts in the implementation of sustainable development projects in the Gaza Strip that reflects positively on the beneficiaries and society as a whole.
Al-Ghrez named QC a ‘champion’ of the Palestinian people in terms of its projects in Palestine, saying that the region had become used to the care and goodness of the organisation.
These agreements follow agreements signed on a number of projects in key sectors in mid-December between QC and the Islamic Development Bank and the GCC for the reconstruction of Gaza, which are estimated at QR50 mn.
The projects have been preceded by a variety of others carried out by QC in the recent period, including a project to provide emergency support for the fishing sector and fisheries with funding from foreign countries which includes the improvement and rehabilitation of homes of fishermen, income-generating projects, cash assistance and maintenance of the port, helping reduce the suffering of fishermen and improving their living conditions.
