Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, USAID and CHF International Inaugurate Two Community Facilities in Tulkarem, West Bank

June 16, 2010 – Tulkarem, West Bank—The residents of Saida village and Tulkarem city celebrated the opening of Saida Public Park and Tulkarem Sports Hall, recently constructed by CHF International (CHF) with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), in partnership with the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Ministry of Finance, Tulkarem Municipality and the community of Tulkarem. The two facilities are essential meeting grounds for sports, entertainment, and social activities, serving 120,000 community members.
The event was attended by Palestinian Prime Minister H.E. Dr. Salam Fayyad, USAID Mission Director Dr. Howard Sumka, Tulkarem Governor Talal Dwaikat, Tulkarem Mayor Iyad Jallad, and Ministry representatives. CHF and its partners were also joined by members of the local communities, many of whom contributed greatly to the efforts leading up to the projects’ completion and today’s event.

H.E. Dr. Salam Fayyad congratulated the residents of Tulkarm, “These kind of projects contribute to building the Palestinian state and reflect the national and international efforts to building Palestine”. At the same time the USAID Mission Director Dr. Howard Sumka confirmed America’s keenness to assist in providing vital services to the Palestinian people such as parks, youth clubs, and schools.

Constructed under the Emergency Jobs Program (EJP), funded by USAID and implemented by CHF, Saida Park is a project aimed at creating employment opportunities for residents, as well as creating a safe, clean, and enjoyable space for children.The overall goals of EJP are to create short-term employment opportunities in the West Bank and Gaza and to help revitalize local economy. The program is achieving these objectives by working in partnership with local communities and contractors to implement labor-intensive social infrastructure projects that not only create jobs but also improve the quality of life in hundreds of communities across Palestine. Since its launch two years ago, EJP has completed 124 projects, with an additional 102 projects to be completed by the end of 2010.

Upon the recommendations of the community and in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Tulkarem Multipurpose Sports Hall was constructed under CHF’s Local Democratic Reform Program (LDR), funded by USAID. Built at a cost of over a million dollars, the sports hall is the first of its kind in the Northern West Bank and will host local and national volleyball, basketball and handball matches. Community development projects, such as the Tulkarem Multipurpose Sports Hall, are based on community needs. CHF works with community representatives, including the civil society organizations, the municipality, and concerned citizens to assess and prioritize their needs for community development projects. To date, LDR has completed 55 Community Development Projects, and in the coming year, will deliver an additional 30 projects serving Palestinians across the West Bank and Gaza.

Read more about the USAID-funded Emergency Jobs Program.