§ Dr. TongeTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) what assessment has been made of the recent damage to the water supply pipelines in(a) Ramallah, (b) Qalqilya, (c) Bethlehem, (d) Tulkarm and (e) Nablus; [48800]
(2) what assessment has been made of the damage to the emergency water and sanitation programme in the West Bank by recent Israeli action; and what is the (a) estimated cost of this damage and (b) estimated number of beneficiaries affected. [48773]
§ Clare ShortWater is a critical issue with the WBGS, and since the Intifada began, the international community has collaborated with the Palestinian institutions to help address both urgent short term needs and the longer term institutional and physical infrastructure.
Water and sanitation, along with other basic services, has been dramatically affected by the recent escalation of violence. The international community, together with the Palestinian authorities, is gathering data on areas where there is no direct access to water supplies. But it has not yet been possible to make a comprehensive assessment of the damage incurred. Access to many areas is still denied.