Welfare Association has finalized the construction of a sewerage network in Al-Sawarha neighborhood, part of Al Zawaidah Municipality in the Middle Governorate, Gaza. Al-Sawarha neighborhood is 400 dunums of densely populated land and considered to be one of the poorest areas in the Gaza Strip. Residents are settled Bedouin refugees originally from the Bir Saba’ region who depend on jobs in agriculture and in the public sector. The neighborhood’s only source of drinking water is from a well two kilometers to the east. The water supply is contaminated from overflowing cesspits, open drainage of waste water and deteriorating pipes, posing a health hazard.

Funded almost entirely by the European Commission Directorate–General for Humanitarian Aid (ECHO) under a grant agreement with WA-UK, the project enabled around 200 households (over 2000 beneficiaries) to connect to the sewerage system, with the potential of serving more residents in the future.

Um Nader Al-Mubaher, one of the beneficiaries who resides in Street 17, said: “The people are very happy with the project and have been waiting for it for a long time.” Furthermore, during a stakeholders meeting, attended by members of the community, WA, and the Zawaidah Municipality, the community expressed its hope that this project will be the basis for future development of the neighborhood infrastructure.

The sewerage network is replacing the open cesspits that were used to collect wastewater in the past, thus protecting the underground water aquifer, the main source of drinking water in the area, from wastewater sewage contamination. This has had a negative effect on the health of the population causing diarrhea for children and adults.

The construction of the sewerage network and connecting the houses to the network will improve the quality of the underground water aquifer, thereby improving the health of the local population. Beneficiaries also welcomed the newly clean safe environment where their children now play.