EU Programme Manager visits the “Land Development” project
Ramallah – Food and Security Programme Manager at the European Union Representative Office, Mr. Joao Anslemo, visited the “Land, Water, and Human Resource Development in Vulnerable Areas of the West Bank- JUTHOOR” project which the Union of Agricultural Work Committees is implementing with funding from the EU.
The EU delegation was briefed about the activities which UAWC implements in Beit-Ummar and Surif villages in Hebron governorate, as well as El-Tkou’ and Za’tara towns east of Bethlehem. These activities include the reclamation and rehabilitation of 1200 Dunums of agricultural land, setting up 250 agricultural wells and 12 metal water reservoirs, constructing and rehabilitating 70 km of agricultural roads’ network, establishing two bucolic reserves on 3500 Dunums, a sheep farm and a barely breeding unit, they were also briefed about the workflow and implementation standards of current projects, in addition to the selection criteria of the different beneficiaries and areas.
The delegation was accompanied by representatives of UAWC, the Land Research Center, and the Mayor of Al-Tkou’ village, where the EU’s representative showed high interest in working in area C.
Mr. Fuad Abu Seif, the General Director of UAWC, talked to the delegation about the different developmental projects which UAWC implements to facilitate the farmers access to their land in order to maintain it, referring to the right of Palestinian farmers in working in the lands they own.
Abu Saif also pointed out that the Israeli occupation authorities issued 15 orders to stop work at areas targeted by the project, including stopping work on setting up metal tanks, a number of agricultural wells, and a 4km road.
The EU Programme Manager also met with farmers who are beneficiaries of the different projects, who expressed their gratitude to the EU and UAWC for targeting marginalized areas with these projects, confirming that their only source of living is what’s produced at their lands.