Language

Water as a political weapon

Submitted March 28, 2006 - 10:59 am by Stephen Peacock
Forgive me deviating slightly from the regional specificity of the topic, but I thought that readers of this excellent post nonetheless might find it interesting that the U.S. Agency for International Development -- presumably to punish Hamas -- has halted a plan to develop local water and sewer facilities in Gaza and the West Bank. I thought it was important to raise this issue, as water-resource activists throughout the hemisphere must be vigilant about the the possibility of USAID wielding that tool against other groups and governments as well.

USAID undeniably has invested tremendous resources in the past to construct and/or modernize water & sewer systems in less-developed nations. But to then to specifically withhold aid from those people whose quality of life, as USAID has said, has vastly improved as a result of such humanitarian projects? Yes, indeed, the Lords of Washington giveth, and the Lords of Washington taketh away.

http://tpr.typepad.com/thepeacockreport/2006/03/us _cuts_off_pal.html

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