The Association of Palestinian Local Authorities (APLA) has completed the distribution of protective equipments and materials to local authorities, as part of its efforts to provide the best conditions and precautionary measures to combat the spread of coronavirus by providing part of the needs of local authorities for cleaning, disinfection and preventive materials funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC), and Implemented by the German Development Cooperation (GIZ) in order to provide some tools and materials that will assist local authorities in their preventive measures to ensure the continuity of the provision of basic services to citizens and maintain safety of local authorities’ staff.

“Local authorities face critical and unusual situations at all levels, and despite the huge burdens, additional duties and new challenges that have arisen from the Covid-19 pandemic in Palestine, local authorities have continued to perform their duties in the best methods and possibilities available," said APLA’s Executive Director Mr. Abdallah Anati, stressing that APLA always seeks to support all local authorities while protecting front-line workers to provide optimal service to citizens.

Mr. Anati praised the cooperation of the local authorities through which the materials were distributed including Hebron Municipality, Dura Municipality, Yatta Municipality, Bethlehem Municipality, Aizariyah Municipality, Beit Anan Municipality, Jericho Municipality, Ramallah Municipality, Beitunia Municipality, Birzeit Municipality, Salfit Municipality, Tubas Municipality, Nablus Municipality, Asira al-Shamaliyah Municipality, Tulkarem Municipality, Qalqilya Municipality, Jenin Municipality, and Araba Municipality. The distribution mechanism was carried out through 18 local authorities, which in turn formed central distribution points to ensure the ease of receiving materials allocated to each local authority by going to the closest distribution point, according to Mr. Anati. The equipment and materials that have been provided to local authorities include gloves, masks, protective dress, chloride disinfectant and automatic spraying machines. APLA has provided local authorities with leaflets of the mechanism of use of distributed materials and equipment, said Mr. Anati.

The Executive Director of APLA also thanked the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC) and GIZ for their contribution to the financing of protective materials and tools and their continued support to enable local government units and protect their staff in these dangerous situations to maintain intensive efforts to collect waste and maintain hygiene during the ongoing crisis and thus continue to provide optimal service to citizens.

Since the outbreak of the pandemic, APLA has continued to communicate with local authorities to see their readiness and conduct a rapid survey of their needs in order to enable them to respond to emergency situations and to know the mechanisms to be adopted to provide support. The provision of basic protective equipment and materials to local authorities is one of the priority interventions needed to ensure the continuity of the work of local authorities, which has been referred to in APLA’s Position Paper on Coronavirus Effects on Local Government Authorities.