LOC21:38
18:38 GMT
PARIS, June 24 (KUNA) -- The Union for the Mediterranean (UM), which is
currently co-chaired by France and Egypt, has approved a USD 450 million
project to build a water desalination plant for Gaza, it was announced here
Friday.
The plant will take five years to build and the UM is to undertake the
operation to raise financing for it construction.
UM and outside experts have been working for months on the feasibility of
the desalination plant, which received the go-ahead by ambassadors from the
Union earlier this week.
The water plant should help alleviate some of the chronic shortages of
clean water in the Palestinian Territory that is under almost watertight
embargo by Israel.
French officials said that the project is "a vital challenge with regard to
the humanitarian situation in Gaza."
France has several times called on Israel to ease restrictions on trade and
movement in and out of Gaza, but with little effect. (end)
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