Improve Safe Access to Sanitation for the Most Vulnerable People in Khan Younis Governorate This project aims to improve safe and adequate access to sanitation services for the most unserved and underserved vulnerable people in Khan Younis. The action is built based on the WASH priorities identified in this oPt Humanitarian Fund 2022 1st standard allocation strategy that aims to respond to life-saving and life-sustaining needs prioritized in the oPt Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) 2022. This action is aligned with HRP's Strategic Objectives and WASH Cluster Objectives. 

Palestinian Environmental Friends Association (PEF) has identified most vulnerable community in Khan Younis, Jorat Allout in partnership with Mercy Corps. The community selected in full coordination with the PWA, CMWU, Khan Younis Municipality, WASH cluster coordinator, and Khan Younis WASH area focal point Action Against Hunger (AAH) as the project targeted location. The project activities were designed in consultation with community leaders, existing community committee members, and the local population.

Through this project, PEF will contribute to improving safe and adequate sanitation services for 6,067 most vulnerable people (2,009 men, 1,939 women, 1078 boys, 1,041 girls) living in Jorat Allout, who are currently unserved or not connected to any sewer collection systems. Instead, they rely on old cesspits/percolation pits, which are not well managed or carefully handled due to peoples’ vulnerable economic situation. Throughout the year, these pits are subjected to frequent flooding and continuous accumulation of wastewater, creating unsafe and unsustainable conditions, and exposing people to dangerous health risks, particularly diarrhea and skin diseases in children. The environment was also subjected to severe deterioration due to the seepage of wastewater into subsurface soil and pollution of the groundwater. In addition, the pests, vectors, and rodents’ outbreaks were frequent phenomena in this area. 

PEF will construct sewer collection networks and household connections in the targeted location that are the most efficient, adequate, and affordable solution, according to the Gaza context, to improve people’s access to proper sanitation services and decrease their dependence on expensive or environmentally unfriendly solutions, such as in-open wastewater dumping and cesspits. The installation works of sewer collection networks in the targeted community will include 1) construction of different sized sewer pipelines and manholes, and 2) closing and filling of cesspits and septic tanks and reconnecting the households to the sewer collection system. The installation works will be implemented by highly qualified and expert contractors contracted based on a competitive tendering process to ensure high-quality works are delivered.

PEF are active members in WASH cluster, with broad experience in implementing humanitarian projects in the Gaza Strip. This extensive expertise has gained the communities’ trust and cooperation and resulted in an extensive network of local partners. The action will also address critical safety, health, hygiene, and environmental issues and maintain shared responsibilities and total behavioral change practices through awareness community sessions. Additionally, PEF will promote community ownership, accountability, and participation throughout the project through baseline and end-line assessments, orientation sessions, other community engagement activities, and in-place complaint and feedback mechanism.