East Jerusalem, 30 April 2025- The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) signed a new agreement to support an emergency project enhancing access to safe drinking water for approximately 200,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. The initiative targets internally displaced persons and vulnerable communities in Rafah, Khan Younis, and Gaza City.

Abdallah Al Dardari, UN Assistant Secretary-General and Director of the Regional Bureau for Arab States, UNDP, and Waleed Sh. Al-Bahar, Acting Director-General of KFAED signed the agreement, which comes at a critical time, as Gaza faces one of the world’s most acute humanitarian crises, with severe water shortages impacting public health, livelihoods, and stability.

“The collaboration agreement that we signed today with the Kuwait Fund does not only represent a response to urgent needs. It signifies a reaffirmation of our shared commitment to investing in human dignity and resilience,” stated Al Dardari. “Together, we are ensuring that communities in Gaza have access to one of the most basic and essential rights—clean and safe water.”

"This initiative lies at the heart of the State of Kuwait's steadfast commitment to alleviating humanitarian suffering and improving living conditions in the Gaza Strip,” emphasized Al-Bahar. " The significance of this agreement stems from addressing an urgent humanitarian need, particularly in light of the severe conditions faced by Gaza’s residents, including interruptions to basic water supplies and reliance on contaminated sources that threaten public health and contribute to the spread of diseases."

Sarah Poole, UNDP’s Special Representative of the Administrator for the Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People, noted, “Implemented over a 12-month period, this project aims to address the urgent humanitarian need for potable water while establishing foundations for sustainable, long-term solutions. It is part of UNDP’s broader emergency response and early recovery interventions, as part of the UN’s overall response, designed to help communities withstand compounded challenges of displacement, infrastructure destruction, and resource scarcity."