GAZA/ PNN/

The EU Heads of Mission in Jerusalem and Ramallah visited Gaza today and met with representatives of Palestinian civil society and the private sector as well as with international organizations. The group of more than twenty European diplomats visited also the European Hospital in  Rafah and the EU-funded small-scale desalination plant near Deir Al Balah.

This is the first joint visit of EU Heads of Mission to Gaza since 2016. The visit was organized in full respect of the heightened health restrictions of Covid-19 and demonstrates the EU’s support to the people of Gaza who are suffering from Gaza’s closure, intra-Palestinian division, and the severe implications of the Covid-19 pandemic.

At the European hospital in Rafah, representatives of the World Health Organization and Palestinian doctors briefed the EU diplomats about the unprecedented challenges the health sector faces as a result of the high Covid-19 infection rate in Gaza.

The diplomats then visited the EU-funded small-scale desalination plant near Deir Al Balah. Representatives of UNICEF and the Palestinian Water Authority informed about the project which will benefit around 250,000 people upon its completion. The diplomats were also briefed about the plans for the Gaza Central Desalination Plant that will provide clean water for the whole population of Gaza, once completed.

The group concluded the visit by meeting representatives of the Palestinian civil society and priva