Type at least 2 characters for suggestions, or press Enter for the full search.
"The lives of the residents of the village have been turned upside down after their streets were illuminated in Khirbet Susiya, south of Hebron, and the residents' feeling of safety and their attachment to their land, most of which is controlled by the Israeli occupation, increased.” With these words, the head of the village council of Khirbet Susiya, south of Hebron, described the residents’ joy over the project of installation of lighting units in the area.
Khirbet Susiya, located south of Hebron city, inhabited by about 300 people, is considered one of the Palestinian villages with primitive capabilities. Most of its housing are under threat of demolition by the Israeli authorities, facing relocation challenges, and are prevented from the establishing infrastructure projects, especially the electricity network which is the backbone of the lives of its residents. They mainly depend on electric generators for energy, which many residents do not own.
However, the insistence of the people of village to survive and to challenge the bitter reality was stronger than the occupation, as they succeeded in obtaining support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation through the Municipal Development and Lending Fund as part of the Area C Development Program, for a modest project that would provide the village with electricity through the installation of 85 lighting units.
In early April 2020, the implementation of the project began on the ground, after obtaining the necessary support for its implementation at a cost of EUR15,375. The project contributed to improving visibility at night for the people of the village, providing a sense of safety at night through the lighting units which help citizens avoid the risks that may result from not being able to see the outside surroundings at night, and confront the attacks of settlers.
In turn, the head of the village council, Mr. Jihad Al-Nawaja, expressed their happiness with the project, explaining that the village lacks infrastructure such as water and electricity, the village was in complete darkness during the last period due to unavailability of power service, and that the project is a glimmer of hope for the residents in the area, as this segment of the Palestinian society was marginalized and stripped of their rights by the occupation for many years. However, Susiya’s experience with the project of installing lighting units created a quantum and remarkable leap that the people could sense.
The Municipal Development and Lending Fund, in cooperation with donor partners supporting Area C led by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, hopes to implement more environmentally friendly projects, which contribute to promoting the resilience of the inhabitants of marginalized areas threatened by the Israeli occupation.