Palestine—West Bank/Gaza Accountable Local Governance (ALG)

As the humanitarian disaster in Gaza continues to ravage communities, Palestinians in the West Bank also are suffering significant hardships due to the war. The combination of destroyed infrastructure resulting from Israeli incursions, new and irregular checkpoints, and settler violence have had an impact on all aspects of life. Citizens across the West Bank are increasingly vulnerable as disruptions to basic services (such as water, sanitation, and electricity), high unemployment, and economic impacts persist. These hardships and the upsurge in citizen needs are concentrated at the municipal level—the most dynamic, effective, and visible level of governance for Palestinian citizens. In these circumstances, local government units across the West Bank are doing their best to respond.

The West Bank/Gaza Accountable Local Governance Activity (ALG), funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), supports local government units to respond to immediate needs while strengthening the foundation for resilient longer-term service delivery improvements and citizen accountability. ALG builds on previous USAID local government and service delivery programs while complementing ongoing activities focused on water, youth, civil society, private sector engagement, and construction.

Sample Activities

• Enhance the effectiveness and responsiveness of municipalities and village councils in service delivery and citizen engagement.
• Improve solid waste management.
• Strengthen local government financial planning and expenditure systems.
• Enhance communication between key actors in the local government ecosystem, including within partner local government, between administration and elected councils, across joint service councils, and between local government and their communities.