بسى هللا انرحًٍ انرحيى
State of Palestine Ministry of Local Government
YATTA MUNICIPALITY
A Study on History, Development and SERVICES of Yatta
Prepared By: Eng. Ibrahim Shamsti Head of the Internal Control Unit / Yatta Municipality
Translated By: Miss Laila Housheyah Municipal Secretary
July, 2017
1 /40 CONTENTS FIRST: YATTA MUNICIPALITY ...... 3 SECOND: YATTA CITY...... 10 NAMING ...... 10 AREA ...... 10 YATTA SITE...... 11 POPULATION ...... 13 THE CLIMATE ...... 14 RELIGION ...... 14 MONUMENTS ...... 14 EDUCATION ...... 19 WATER ...... 20 ROADS AND TRANSPORTATION: ...... 22 LANDS, NEW MASTER PLAN AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT: ...... 23 ENVIRONMENT AND HYGIENE: ...... 25 PUBLIC HEALTH: ...... 25 SEWAGE STREAM & SANITATION: ...... 26 LOCAL ECONOMY: ...... 27 LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (LED): ...... 27 COMMUNICATIONS: ...... 28 PUBLIC UTILITIES: ...... 28 ELECTRICITY AND SOLAR ENERGY: ...... 33 THE MUNICIPALITY VEHICLES: ...... 35 THE GOVERNMENTAL INSTITUTIONS, DIRECTORATES: ...... 35 THE LIST OF LOCAL INSTITUTIONS (CIVIL AND GOVERNMENTAL INSTITUTIONS): ...... 39
Elected Municipal Council 2017
2 /40 FIRST: YATTA MUNICIPALITY
Yatta Municipality was established in 1971 and is administered nowadays by an elected municipal council consist of (13) members and the mayor Mr. Ibrahim Abu- Zahra. The council started its missions on 1, June 2017 taking into consideration the latest elections which was conducted on 13, May 2017. Yatta municipality offers its citizens all services stipulated by the law except sewage services. The municipality updated three new services which are special care for handicapped people, inspecting the validity and suitability of vehicles and local economic development services. Electricity services were assigned to south electricity company (SELECO) established in 2004 by the membership of Yatta, Dura and Al-Dahariya municipalities.
1) Yatta Municipality History: Committees & Successive Municipal Councils are as follows:
From Level of Local # To Year Duration Case Mayor Name Year Authority 1 1966 1971 5 Designation Village Council The late Nassar al-Jundi 2 1971 1972 1 Designation Municipality The late Nassar al-Jundi 3 1972 1973 1 Elections Municipality The late Mohammed Shhada Abu E`ram 4 1973 1976 3 Designation Municipality The late Faydhi Khatib 5 1976 1978 2 Elections Municipality Mr. Ahmed Mousa Abu Qbeitah 6 1978 1986 8 Designation Municipality Mr. Abdel Rahman Hijji 7 1986 1995 9 Designation Municipality Mr. Ismail Abu Hmeid 8 Sep-95 Jan-09 13.2 Designation Municipality The late Khalil Mohammed Yunus 9 Jan-09 Sep-09 0.8 Designation Municipality The late Ali Musa Abu Qbeitah Zahran Abu Qbeitah (Member of the 10 Sep-09 20/10/2012 3 Designation Municipality Legislative Council) 11 20/10/2012 2/11/2016 4 Elections Municipality Lawyer Mousa Makhamreh 12 3/11/2016 13/5/2017 0.5 Designation Municipality General Ratib Hdeib 13 13/5/2017 Now 4 Elections Municipality Mr. Ibrahim Abu Zahra
2) Brief Summary Accordance to law number (1) in 1997 regarding local authorities law. The Municipality shall be considered a legal entity with financial independence which shall determine its functions and powers in accordance with the provisions of the Law. The council shall be managed by a council whose members shall be determined in accordance with a system issued by the Minister and endorsed by the Council of Ministers. The mayor and the members shall be elected freely and directly in accordance with the provisions of the Elections Law. In addition, the law stipulates that the Municipal Council is a local authority with specific functions that shall be complementary to the functions of the mayor. The municipal authorities lead by both the municipal council and the mayor. On one hand, the municipal council carries out report and monitor authority. On another hand, the mayor carries out executive authority with the help of the various municipal staffs and he is responsible for the administration of the municipality and the good performance of its employees in accordance with regulations and instructions governing the work. Also, he has the right to issue decisions and instructions for municipal affairs in a manner that does not oppose these regulations.
3 /40 3) The Role of the Ministry of Local Government The role of the Ministry is to draw up the general policy for the council's work. Also, supervise the tasks, the public enterprise, the budgets and financial, administrative and legal control and procedures which have something to do with the formation of these councils. 4) Services Offered by the Municipality
No. Service No. Service No. Service 1 Planning of City and Streets 8 Public markets 15 General Health and Observation 2 Buildings Licenses 9 Parks 16 Building Schools 3 Social care 10 Advertisements 17 Cleanliness and collection of solid wastes 4 Electricity: Through SELCO 11 Transportations. 18 Cultural and sports institutions. 5 Sewage: None. 12 Cemeteries 19 Reserves for floods and disasters. 6 Demolition of Buildings 13 Water 7 Public Facilities 14 Roads Wastes
5) Municipality Mission:
Yatta Municipality seeks to develop local community in Yatta and its villages including all community segments, in addition to raise and develop its infrastructure, and search for the best and most modern means to offer services in the fields of health, culture, transportation, electricity, solid waste management, and the organization of urban development. The municipality also seeks to remain serious to achieve social security for citizens and improve their relations with their municipality, and to improve a mutual and effective relationship with national, local, and international institutions, in addition to raise employees' efficiency, provide the proper conditions, and encourage them through the provision of best electronic devices, tools, and mechanisms needed for the success of work. 6) Vision of Yatta City: Yatta is a green governorate with a prudent management and flourishing infrastructure economically, socially and healthy. It is also distinguished by its Arab Islamic pattern. 7) Values: Belief, honest affiliation, integrity, transparency, accountability, creation and innovation, and team work. 8) Committees of the Municipal Council: The following committees shall be formed at the opening session of the Council 1. Finance Committee: Follow-up of financial related matters at the municipality by supervising the various expenses of it through auditing and signing financial transactions and matching them with the required procedures as well as preparing the general budget in coordination and cooperation with the mayor and the financial director. 2. Purchasing and tenders Committee: Supervising the various purchases of the municipality in coordination with the finance manager and the head of the procurement and tenders unit on the various types of supplies from the solicitation of offers, tenders and direct purchase, in addition to participating in the committees of destruction and receipt of projects.. 3. Building and Organizing Committee: It holds formal meetings and issue recommendations on buildings licensing according to the applicable building regulations. Following up and activating the work of the building department administratively and technically, proposing appropriate solutions to problems in organizing streets and some buildings, and to participate in the follow-up of the structural plan.
4 /40 4. Personnel Affairs Committee: It shall be formed under the Mayor, a member from the municipal council, the executive director or a senior officer and the responsible of the concerned department. The Committee shall assume the following functions and powers and shall submit the instructions to the Council: a. Appointment and modification of employees, including contracts employees. b. Upgrading the staff of the local authority. c. Sending the employees to missions and courses and studying the training needs of local staff to improve the performance and the quality of work. d. Conducting competitive examinations and interviews of candidates for appointment. e. Any other functions or powers in which a provision is made in staff regulations. f. The Committee shall meet at the invitation of its Chairman whenever the need arises and its meeting shall be legal in the presence of all members. Its decisions shall be taken with the concurrence of three members. 5. Education Committee: The Education Committee shall approve the budget of local knowledge, follow up the affairs rented buildings and schools' maintenance. Plus, examine the extent of activation of the tax collection of education. The Director of the Directorate of Education is a member in this committee. 6. Water and Electricity Committee: It follows up the affairs of the electricity sector through the membership of the Municipality in the Board of Directors of the South Electricity Company, and what is accomplished in this sector, in addition to water network and development projects in the city. 7. Women and Youth Committee: monitors women's issues and what is new about the integration of women and youth in local and regional levels. 8. The Internal control Committee: Follow up the reports of the head of the internal control unit and discuss the mid-term and annual reports in the sessions of the municipal council. Also, study the reports of the external control bodies and follow up the recommendations. 9. Health Committee: Its mission is to follow up issues related to hygiene, environment, food, shops, crafts and industries. 10. The Legal Committee: Follow-up of legal acts, disputes and cases in which the municipality is involved in terms of: Providing the municipal council with a legal perspective on the various cases and working to minimize the risks and legal liability that may be imposed upon the municipality.
9) Area of Influence Yatta municipality area is (33,000) acres in accordance with structural planning which is the Constitution of Urban Status. For instance, the current structural planning is 24.5 square kilometers and the officially recognized area by the Palestinian Territory Authority is 5300 acres registered and zoned in 1971 in addition to 878 acres were registered between 2013 and 2017. So, the total is only 6170 acres, and the rest of the land is registered in the project of recording and appraising the lands of the current city. 10) Classification of the Municipality The Municipality of Yatta is classified as follows: g. By geographical location: Area (A) / Oslo Agreement Classifications. h. According to the administrative classification of the Ministry of Local Government: Municipality (B).
5 /40 i. According to the periodic classification of the Municipal Development and Lending Fund: (B++) in 2017, which varies according to the general performance of the municipality in each year of the allocation of grants.
11) Laws and Regulations The following are the most important laws and regulations governing the work of Palestinian Municipalities: 1. Local Authorities Law No. 1 of 1997. 2. Civil Service Law. 3. System of employees of local authorities No. (1) for the year 2009. 4. Instructions of the staff of the local authorities: Instructions related to the implementation of the provisions of the system of employees of local authorities. 5. Building and Organization System for Local Authorities No. 5 of 2011. 6. Financial system of local authorities. 7. Business supply system (bids and purchases. 8. Many other laws and regulations such as: (crafts and industries, profession licenses, signs and declarations, property tax, knowledge tax, slaughterhouses, electricity, vehicle parking and wholesale markets.
12) Municipal Budget (End of June, 2017):
1. Income Balance:
Estimated throughout Remaining until the # Balance of Revenues Actual to date the year end of 2017 1 Public Budget 5,491,660.42 13,140,000.00 7,648,339.58 2 Dynamometer Balance 316,077.00 610,000.00 293,923.00 3 Water Balance 1,257,955.50 4,831,000.00 3,573,044.50 4 Budget of Retirement 30,030.54 547,000.00 516,969.46 5 Balancing Projects 57,192.69 350,000.00 292,807.31 * Total 7,152,916.15 19,478,000.00 12,325,083.85
2. Expenses Balance:
Estimated throughout Remaining until the # Balance of Expenditures Actual to date the year end of 2017 1 Public Budget 827,966.80 2,546,000.00 1,718,033.20 2 Dynamometer Balance 29,779.00 58,000.00 28,221.00 3 Water balance 327,213.75 3,710,000.00 3,382,786.25 4 Administrative Budget 3,518,433.85 9,261,141.80 5,742,707.95 5 Balancing projects 2,301,693.78 4,240,000.00 1,938,306.22 * Total 7,005,087.18 19,815,141.80 12,810,054.62
3. Main Revenue Items
Percentage of Percentage Income To Estimated # Account Name Achievement of Total Date Budget For 2017 To Date Revenue 1 Property Taxes: house tax. 1,256,851.16 %93 1,350,000 %7 2 Road Transport Charges. 0 %0 1,350,000 %7 Service revenues: library, certificates 3 2,502.00 %6 40,000 %0.21 and signs. License Fees and Vacancy: building 4 permits, banners, transport of dead, 756,217.95 %41 1,860,000 %10 trades, industries, professions and
6 /40 Percentage of Percentage Income To Estimated # Account Name Achievement of Total Date Budget For 2017 To Date Revenue others. Miscellaneous Income: sale of assets, accident compensation, local and 5 5,880.31 %1 620,000 %3 government donations and tender fees. Income from Grants And Grants Restricted to Use: court fines, assault 6 21,435.00 %24 90,000 %0.46 on property, and unlicensed buildings. Income From Investments: rental of 7 real estate and transfers from the 2,942,799.00 %43 6,830,000 %35 electricity company 8 Operating Income (waste charges). 505,975.00 %51 1,000,000 %5 9 Dynamometer Income. 316,077.00 %52 610,000 %3 Water revenues: include the price of 10 water distributed by networks or 1,257,955.50 %26 4,831,000 %25 tanks, subscription fees and others. Retirement Income: Employee and 11 30,030.54 %5 547,000 %3 Municipal Contribution. 12.01 Park project / pool of Carmel. 0 %0 100,000 %0.51 Project PMSP1: Community Center 12.02 57,192.69 %23 250,000 %1.28 Income. * Total 7,152,916.15 %37 19,478,000 %100
4. Main Expenditure Items:
Percentage of Estimated Percentage Expenses To # Account name Achievement Budget for of Total Date To Date 2017 Expenses Public Health and Safety: (Stray dogs, 1 86 %0 30,000.00 %0.15 insecticides, laboratory supplies). Solid Waste Expenditures: (landfill, purchase and maintenance of 2 529,974 %35 1,500,000 %7.57 containers and equipment, oil and fuel expenses) 3 Expenditure of Cultural Services. 630 %1 76,000.00 %0.38 Public Works Expenditure: (maintenance of schools, old town, 4 289,988 %32 920,000 %4.64 naming of roads and numbering of buildings, retaining walls) 5 Security and Fire Expenses 1,425.00 %14 10,000.00 %0.05 Planning and Community Development Expenses: (including 6 5,864 %59 10,000 %0.05 the land survey and registration project) 7 Dynamometer Expenses 29,779 %51 58,000 %0.29 8 Budget Expenses (salaries of retirees) 277,946 %51 547,000 %3 9 Water Expenditure 327,214 %9 3,710,000 %19 10 Salaries of Permanent Employees 1,572,238 %39 4,060,142 %20 The salaries of Contract Employees 11.01 1,131,471 %55 2,070,000 %10 and Non-Residents 11.02 Other Administrative Expenses 536,778 %21 2,584,000 %13 Project Expenditures: including the 12 2,301,694 %54 4,240,000 %21 community center project. * Total 7,005,087.18 %35 19,815,141.80 %100
7 /40 13) Municipal Staff: The staff of the municipality today consists of 203 employees and workers (including the mayor and the legal advisor) who work in all departments and units, and are classified as follows: Jobs Abstract Departments** Job Health, Planning Total No. General Finance Administrative Engineering Movement and of Category Administration* Dept. Dept. Dept. and Water Projects Employees Permanent 6 4 22 39 9 7 87 Contract 3 10 28 21 8 5 75 Daily 0 0 3 11 0 0 14 Operate 0 0 3 2 0 0 5 Workers Total 9 14 56 73 17 12 181 Retired 22 Grand total 203
*The General Administration consists of the following: Number of # Unit / Function Name of the Head of Unit or Director Employee 1 Mayor Mr. Ibrahim Abu Zahra 1 2 Director of the Municipality Nasser Raba`ee 1 3 Internal Control Unit Eng. Ibrahim Shamisti 1 Strategic Planning and Ammar Shriteh,& he is head of the Economic 4 1 Performance Measurement Unit Development Unit 5 Tender and Procurement Unit Omar Haddar 1 6 Public Relations Unit Vacant, with an employee (Abdel Aziz Abu Fanar) 1 7 Legal unit (Lawyer Ahmad Mousa al-Khatib) 1 8 Executive secretary Miss Laila Houshieh 1 9 Secretary of the Municipality Miss Manal Shriteh 1 * TOTAL 9
**The Municipal Departments consist of: No. of # Department Name of Director Employee 1 Department of finance Dr. Yasser Abu Tuhfa 14 2 Department of Management Talib Najjar 56 3 Department of Health, Movement and Water Eng. Khalil Abu E`ram 73 4 Department of Engineering Eng. Mohamed Hdeib 17 5 Planning and Projects Department Eng. Jubrael Abu E`ram 12 * Total 172
The Organizational Structure of Yatta municipality is as follows.
8 /40 The Organizational Structure of the Municipality (2017):
MUNICIPAL COUNCIL Municipal Committee Internal Control Unit Mayor Musa Makhamri Legal Unit Municipal Secretary Municipality Director Procurement Unit Development & Public Relations Unit
Secretary of Director Strategic Planning Unit
Planning & Projects Dept. Eng`g Dept. Health, Water & Movements Dept. Administrative Affairs Dept. Financial Dept.
Water Movement and Health and Social IT Section Culture and Dynamo Building Human Accounting Budgets And Section Maintenance Environment Services Public Services Audit Section Planning meter & Resourc Section Lands Implemen Section Department Section Service Section Section es Section ting Section organiza Health Section Maintenance Section Fund Division Projects tion Counters Control Systems & Division Section GIS Section Division Division Physical Programming Therapy Division Queries Revenue & Roads Division Control & Division and Collection Maintenance Drivers Divisio Inspection Maintenance Division & Networks Division Solid & Archive n Division Waste Special Division Design, Division Education Operation Expenses Works Specifications Division Division Division Property Division and & Quantity Personnel and Metal Library Public Services Surveying Licensing Division Utilities Division Division Property Division Division Division Social and Research Division of Warehouses Division Security Division, Public Division hygiene & Utilities buffet Salaries Division
9 /40 SECOND: YATTA CITY Naming
The roots of Yatta city back to the Canaanite Arabs who settled in Palestine since the dawn of its history and it was called "Yuta" in the sense of "plain" and "curved" land. The site is covered by 90 acres of hills to the southeast and it contains buildings, caves, huts and wells.
It was said that Yatta is the town where the Prophet Zakareya, peace be upon him, lived and where his son Yahiya, peace be upon him, was born. Also, Virgin Mary, Mother of Christ, used to visit her relative Elisabeth (Ietaem), mother of Prophet Yahiya.
The village was founded during the Ottoman period and it extends over a larger area than the old site. There are old buildings, fortifications and various architectural elements such as pillars, crowns, merging columns, Corinthian crowns, thresholds, door bases and decorative friezes which were founded in the buildings and the burial caves.
Area
The total area of Yatta is about 270,000 acres, 14,000 acres of which are residential lands, and 115,000 acres are agricultural lands.
Area of municipality influence: 30,614 acres, or 30.6 square kilometers, classified as the following:- Total The area in Area in Item Percentage Area Item No. square meters (Acres) (Acres) 1 Residential Areas A 4,520,018.99 4,520 14.76% 2 Residential Areas B 9,880,986.67 9,881 32.28% 3 Residential Areas C 4,677,039.99 4,677 15.28% 25,596 Residential 4 Residential Areas D 2,829,314.82 2,829 9.24% Areas 5 Agricultural Residential Areas 3,638,302.00 3,638 11.88% Agricultural Settlement Area 6 50,432.02 50 0.16% With Special Provisions 7 Old Town 98,686.84 99 0.32% 99 Old Town 8 Commercial- Linear 231,233.14 231 0.76% 284 Commercial 9 Sub-Mall 52,850.80 53 0.17% Public 10 Public Buildings 281,039.07 281 0.92% 281 Buildings 11 Quarry Area and Stone Saws 988,688.57 989 3.23% Quarries, 12 Small Craft Industries Zoon 111,842.24 112 0.37% 1,106 Industries and 13 Gas Station 5,469.64 5 0.02% Crafts 14 Cemeteries 43,304.29 43 0.14% 43 Cemeteries 15 Green Areas 76,321.88 76 0.25% 149 Green 16 Public Gardens 72,847.64 73 0.24% Religious Places (Its 17 173.21 0 0.00% 246 destruction is prohibited). 18 Archeological Sites 60,697.34 61 0.20% Archeological Archeological Sites Under 19 185,264.95 185 0.61% Examination 20 Roads 2,809,446.65 2,809 9.18% 2,809 Roads Total 30,613,960.75 30,614 100.00% 30,614
10 /40 Yatta Site
Yatta is located 12 km south of Hebron, at the end of Palestine south Mountains and to the north of the Negev. It occupies an important position in the south because it controls a wide area extending from the lands of Al-Dahariya in the west, Dora in the north-west, Hebron in the north, the Dead Sea in the east, and the Green Line lands in south of the Negev. It is a transitional area between Hebron Mountains in the north and the Negev region in the south. The city is surrounded by a group of small communities that are closely related to all aspects of life and depend on Yatta to receive the main services. The geographical areas of Yatta are divided into the following: 1) Yatta City Which is the population within the boundaries of the municipality according to the master plan and the area is about 32 thousand acres.
The old town (the root of the city) is about 100 dunums of the city's area. Many of its historic houses were demolished and new buildings were built by the current generation under the pretext of small property, insufficient land availability and natural population growth. The municipality, in cooperation with the Riwaq Foundation, has begun to renovate the old buildings that are still in place to preserve the city's roots and history, and issued instructions in cooperation with the Ministry of Antiquities not to demolish them and punish the violators. The Municipality also used qualified buildings as headquarters for a number of local institutions such as the Old Town Reconstruction Committee, the Council of Al Masafer Village, the Friends of Martyrs' Families Association, and Yatta Zakat Committee.
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2) Village Councils Surrounding the City Villages located on the borders of the municipality area and it has councils that running the development process within its boundaries and within the powers vested in them under the Palestinian Villages and cities Planning Act. They are classified as (C or D) according to their chronological age and its population. 3) Yatta Countryside Population groups are located in mountainous and surrounding plateau areas, which are locally known as the (Shafa) region. These areas include population groups and project committees named after the site or area and have not risen to the level of village council.
12 /40 4) Masafer Yatta Al Masafer zone is located in the south and south-east of Yatta City, in the foothills of the southern mountain and in the plains adjacent to the 1948 armistice line in the north of Negev. It is known locally as "Al-Mesfara". It is ruins and destroyed villages, whose inhabitants live under very difficult conditions, without any services. There is no water network, electricity, roads network or communications. These areas are deprived of health and education services. Besides, the villagers depend on raising livestock and cultivating the land. These areas are constantly being harassed by the Israeli side, with tents being demolished, closures of the inhabited areas and demolition of water wells and sheep pens. The residents of these communities rely on Yatta in all aspects of economic, social and humanitarian life, including education and health, except for mixed elementary schools in tents that are not qualified and still a subject to demolition. As well as some emergency and health services provided by local, international and non-permanent institutions.
Population The Population growth rate in Yatta region was 3% at the end of 2016. Therefore, the population of the region can be estimated as following:- - The population of Yatta is 67,986 inhabitants. - The residents' number of rural areas, villages, Al-Masafer and Bedouin areas is 26,301inhabitants. - Total population is 94,287 people according to the Official Statistics at the end of 2016. The actual statistic of the population is more than the statistical equation and the estimates used by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. The administrative area of Yatta includes the town of Samou', Al-Reheyah village, AL- Fawwar camp and southern Hebron in general in the field of health services, transportation and traffic. Consequently, the number of people who get benefit from administrative services exceeds 250,000 people. The following table shows the distribution of population in Yatta: Residential Location Name Name in Arabic Population Total Assembly 64,948 يذيُت يطا Yatta Yatta city 1,704 انحيهت Municipality Al-Haileh 67,986 1,132 زيف Boundaries Zeif 202 أو انعًذ سهم واد انًاء Om Al- Amad + Wad Elma 5,270 انريحيت Al Shafa Al-Reheyah 2,889 بيج عًرة Communities Beit- Emrah 1,061 انذيراث Al-Deirat 10,985 810 انبىيب Al-Bwaib 435 انتىاَي Al- Twaneh 520 ايُيسل Emnaizel 1,884 خهت انًيت Khallet Al Mayah Khallet Al Mayah 3,417 395 أو انشقحاٌ Villages Am Al Shughan 1,138 أو نصفا Am- Lasafa 4,992 انكريم Al Karmil Al-Karmil 613 يعيٍ Municipality Ma'een 7,569 1,458 خهت صانح Khallet Saleh 506 خيروشيىش وانحذيذيت Khairoshiewish+ Al Hdeideyah 3,132 1,084 أو انذرج (Bedwen Um Al Daraj (Al Ka'abna
13 /40 Residential Location Name Name in Arabic Population Total Assembly 809 خشى انذرج (Communities Khashm Al Daraj (Hathaleen 688 أو انخير Um Al Khair 551 انُجادة Al Najada 290 انًسافر Al Masafer Al Masafer 183 شعب انبطى Communities She'eb Al Botom 1,198 174 وادي عبيذ Obaid Valley 308 انفخيج Al Fakheet 243 طىيم انشيح Twayl Al Sheih Yatta and its countryside Population 94,287 94,287
The Climate - Yatta city located at the middle of a plateau with a height of 820 meters above sea level (750-850 meters) - The region is classified as a warm climate area. - The annual rainfall is about (300) mm. The amounts of rain falling irregular and not enough for agriculture, - The annual minimum temperature is 7.3 ° C, - The annual average temperature range is 22.9 ° C, - Annual temperature range is about 13.2 ° C.
Religion The only religion in the region is Islam. Yatta has more than 100 mosques, the largest of which are Al-Da`wa Mosque, Yatta Grand Mosque, Al-Salam Mosque, Salah Al-Din Mosque and Al Sadiq Al Amin Mosque.
Monuments Many of the stones discovered by the excavations have prominent crosses that were mainly used as door frames. On one of these ceilings there is a Greek writing that says: "This is the door of the Lord, from which the good man comes in." There are some hieroglyphs, Crescents, forms of flowers and life trees dating back to the Ottoman period. In addition, there are decorated stones in the old buildings, many of which reached the hands of archaeological artifacts collectors. Moreover, pottery fragments were founded on the site date back to the Bronze Age I, the Iron Age II, Late Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman periods. Pottery vessels and a broken mortar of basalt stone were also found.
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The burial caves and the huts were recorded, carved in the rock next to each other, each with a staircase facing the southwestern side, which represent the Roman period. On the southern side of the site and near the school (Yatta Girls Elementary School) there is a large wall of huge stones, each 165 x 55 cm, some of which have a frame on the edge of the stone. The wall is northeast-south-west, 30 m long and preserved at a height of 5 m. The eastern wall is bordered by three rooms of a late building, two of which were used as a mosque.
15 /40 Several architectural elements were identified near (Yatta Girls' Elementary School) in the so- called Omari Mosque. They include an oval column and parts of decorative friezes, door ceilings and small columns for an altar veil. It was noted that the upper part of the wall was built in a later period using the original stones, and it is likely that this wall is the eastern wall of a large public building.
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The most prominent archaeological sites are:- The shrine of Al-Khader in Beit Emra area, the Shrine of Al- Steih Peace be upon him Yatta downtown, the remains of Al- karmil palace. Mosque and church in "Susia" area where ancient inscriptions and writings were found and paved with colorful mosaic stones. This archaeological site remains under Israeli control in the southern settlement area. The following is a description of a number of archaeological and historical sites in the city of Yatta and its surroundings: 1. Al Karmil It is located 5 km southeast of Yatta. We can find ruins of two Byzantine churches, a fort, a tunnel, carved tombs, caves, and other architectural remains. It was built for the pilgrims on their way to the House of God (Makah). Archaeological excavations were conducted on the Karmil site in the summer of 1991. It was mainly focused on a rock-hewn tomb near the site in the southern Hebron hills. The tomb is a cave with oblong shape and two rooms with 160 cm high. In front of the cave entrance there is a hole with dimensions (19x19) cm, and the closing stone of the entrance was found in the yard. The yard is followed by two steps leading to the front room (1.80 x 2.25 m), two meters high, and a floor with a slight slope. This is followed by another cave with two oblong sanctuaries and shelves were carved in rock. Furthermore, there is a narrow entrance (190 x 50) cm separates the front room from the burial chamber at the back. A (120 x 100) cm pit engraved in front of the entrance to the back room. It contained many pottery pieces, as well as two huts with irregular shapes (110 x 60 cm) and (80 x 150) cm. The two huts had been dug into the walls of the burial chamber. The finds of the burial hut include two hard limestone blocks, old lamps and graves hoods dating back to the first century CE and the late Roman period. As well as, glass bracelets and colored glass beads. On the roof of the hut there are four openings of different sizes carved into the rocks, probably covered with stone slabs and used for burial. There is also channel for water drainage near these openings.
17 /40 2. Al-Qfair Ruin It is located 1.5 km northeast of Yatta and on the northern bank of the Kefir Valley, with destroyed buildings covering about 10 acres. The site has agricultural terraces, one of which is more than 14 m high. In addition, there are caves, wells, grapes mills, and pottery pieces found similar to those discovered in Yatta, dating back to the Bronze Age I, the Iron Age, and the Persian and Hellenistic periods. There is also a residential cave with corridors in different directions, located at the top of the eastern wall of the site. The cave was dug by archaeologists who found pieces of a large storage tractor dating back to the Iron Age I and II. The survey indicated that another burial cave had been destroyed by a mechanical digger. Salvage Excavations were carried out on the site and it has shown that the pottery and bone fragments were found at the site dating back to the Bronze Age. 3. Ezeiz Ruin It is located on Al- Samou' road to the south of Yatta. The village was built on the ruins of the village of "Kfar Ezeiz" at roman. The ruins were built on the ruins of an old town and it has remains of houses with columns, streets and other architectural buildings. In 1989, a rock- hewn burial site was discovered in the middle of the slope. The entrance of the tomb (a cave or hut) carved in the middle of rocky terrace with 1.5 m wide and 1.5 m high. In front of the entrance there is also a yard carved in the stone with 1.5 m width and 15 m length. The entrance leading to the inside of the tomb is small in size 50x50 cm and has a prominent frame around it. It has a slab that was used to close it and was found outside the vault. The left side of the entrance was destroyed when the tomb was stolen. The burial chamber is square shaped with dimensions of 3.5x3.5 m and a height of 1.5 m. Lime Stones were found inside the cave, and remains of stone tombs with ornate decorations, floral motifs and decorative frames. 4. Rejm Al Dair It is located to the north-west of Yatta. There are remains of a square building and a well on the top of a mountain. Another survey was carried out for the monastery and the surrounding area. In November 1989, a ritual bath was discovered in the fortification of this site. The fortification is found on a high ground, rising about 758 m above sea level. The building has a rectangular layout (8x4 m) and its walls are built on a curved slope. The building stones have mostly irregular and smooth surface. The length of the wall extends from the south-west corner and runs south-east. In addition to the area where the wall meets with an angle, there is a stone entrance with a width of 1 m and a height of 1.2 m, a corridor with a length of 4 m and a width of 1.2 m. Also, there are six steps join the entrance to the ritual baths. The walls of the passageway and the roof tiles were built of a mixture of cement and stones, and only the eastern part next to the baptism pool built from stones. At the bottom of the baptism pool (4 x 3 m) there are three varying height steps. Plus, a tunnel located near the roof of the eastern corner and it is probably used to supply the baptism pool with water. The bottom of the baptism pool and its sides, the ceiling, the floor and walls of the corridor are all covered by a layer of plaster mixed with pottery. For instance, it dates back to the Late Roman period and the Byzantine period. In the Islamic period, the old plaster was restored with another gray color.
18 /40 5. Fattouh Ruin It is located to the northeast of Yatta and it contains many archaeological remains that consist of walls foundations, caves, and cisterns and carved rocks. 6. Abu Shabban Ruin It is located to the east of Yatta and contains remains of many ancient walls foundations. 7. Al-Deirat Ruin It is located to the east of Yatta and to the north of Abu –Shabban ruin. It contains the ruins of buildings, underground stores and ancient caves and cisterns. 8. Beit Emrah It is located 2 km northwest of Yatta. It is believed that it was built on the old Canaanite village "Zanouh", and the word Emrah means "dwelling". 9. Raq'a Village It is located to the northeast of Yatta. An archaeological site contains archaeological remains, ancient walls, tanks and caves. Education
The number of students in 2016-2017 was about 23,640 students. The number of schools is 82 schools, 48 schools of which are within the municipal boundaries.
19 /40 The following table shows the School Statistics: Number of Number of Number of Schools Number of Classes Building Property Yatta Students Centers Schools Male Female Mixed Total Male Female Mixed Male Female Male Female Property Rented Both In Yatta 14 16 18 48 228 254 106 8,404 8,869 405 591,5 32 15 1 City
In The Countryside 6 6 22 34 71 68 159 3,248 3,118 324 183.5 26 5 3 and Villages of Yatta
20 22 40 82 299 322 265 11652 11987 729 775 58 20 4 Total 82 886 23,639 1,504 82
The city also has a branch of Al Quds Open University. One of the biggest challenges facing the municipality is the education sector and the construction of school buildings in the city and its countryside. The city needs two schools at the beginning of each academic year because of the large population and the expansion of the city area. The Municipality is keen to keep up with this the development of the educational process in the region. Because the Ministry of Education is unable to build schools annually the municipality Contribute to the education sector as follows. 1. Paying annual rents for rented schools. 2. Engineering supervision for the schools projects'. 3. Get donations from donors to build new schools. 4. Supporting the roving computer project for rural areas in Yatta and Al-Samou 'in cooperation with Al-Quds Open University.
Water Yatta Water Network was established in 1974 and was expanded in 1995. The development and the maintenance of the network of the city still ongoing and the length of it extended to 160 km.
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The following issues remain as challenges stand in the way of provide adequate quantities of water to all citizens: a. Lack in water quantities from its sources: The daily average is not more than 20 liters per capita, despite the multiple sources (Bani Naem wells, Dura Tank, Makrout line, Yatta Well). b. The suffocating crisis in the summer: This leads to the division of the city into about 30 areas subjected to a compelling water distribution program. c. High demand rate in summer on water tankers by people and institutions. d. Water pollution: The population depends mainly on the collection of water in wells, but there is a cesspit for each house in the same zoon. So, most of the well water is contaminated. e. There are 40% of the neighborhoods that do not have water networks, especially after joining some districts and village councils to the municipality in 2013. f. The network became worn out due to its long life span and their rust caused by the absence of water for long periods. g. Network design: The circular design of network and pipe diameter used does not fit the topographic and the demographic situation of the city. h. High percentage of the water loss in network and main lines due to illegal connections and pipes damages.
21 /40 Roads and Transportation: The city road network (according to the new master plan 2017) is about 500 km. It can be classified as follows: 1. The Main Entrances: It is a group of roads connecting the city with its surroundings and villages. It has 12 roads with a length of 40 km. 50% of them are in good condition, 30% are in a tolerable condition and 20% are in poor condition and need rehabilitation. 2. The Internal Road Network: It is about 150 km, 30 km of which is paved and in a good condition. 30 km are paved since the nineties of the last century and it needs maintenance. 40 km has been rehabilitated by the time of the previous municipal council. As well, the remaining (50 km) are internal roads that still need to be paved. 3. Agricultural Roads: They are dirt roads (unpaved), with a total length of (50 km). 4. Proposed Roads according to the new master plan of the city: Not expanded or unconstructed yet. They are about 260 km.
The strategic (future) projects in this domain are:- 1. Rehabilitation of the main street (Khalil al-Rahman Street) and the implementation of medians, sidewalks and lighting of the road from Al-Mazra'ah crossroad down to the city center (Garage Site) through Al-Salam Street. 2. Paving the Hospital Road: The road is narrow and need to be expanded because of the active traffic towards the only hospital in southern Hebron. 3. Paving Wad Al-Saddeh Road: This project is a vision by itself in terms of: a. It is parallel to the stream of sewage (in the Hebron Valley) and connects neighborhoods were separated from the downtown of the city. b. Farmers can reach their lands and invest in the most fertile land in the area. c. Reduce the traffic overcrowding in the Yatta downtown and used as alternative of the main street. d. Restructuring the urban planning and reducing population in downtown.
22 /40 4. Paving Wadi Abu-Al Foul Road: as an alternative to Beit Emrah road.
5. Construction of City Gates: on the main southern, northern and eastern entrances. 6. Construction of (3) Traffic Signs at the Crossroads: Al Samu' Crossroad, Basal Crossroad (Garage Area) and Al-Mazra'ah Crossroad. 7. The expansion, construction and paving of the Yatta-Hadab Al-Fawwar road to be an alternative to the road that passing the center of the camp and which has a permanent traffic overcrowding for the residents of the camp and passengers who pass the street to Yatta, Samu', Dura and southern Hebron in general. 8. Pavement and rehabilitation of some Internal Dirt Roads. Lands, New Master Plan and Urban Development: Yatta Municipality is interested in the development of local planning and urban development sectors in the city by adapting the following programs and projects: 1) Lands Registration and Zoning within the Municipal Boundary. It is the project of lands registration and zoning, which lie within the municipal boundary (According to the new master plan) with (31,600) acres. That’s including re-registration and re-zoning of territories exists within zoned lands since 1972, and then registers them in the names of their present owners. To date, 75% of the project has been completed. The main impediments to the continuation of this project are: the lack of official documents proving the ownership of lands, the multiplicity of properties, the migration of a number of owners, issues of division of inheritance and inheritance, and the existence of pieces without roads, state property and others. 2) The New Master Plan: It is a new master plan of (31.6 km2). And it is the most extensive master plan at the governorate level since the area of Yatta city is larger than some governorates in the West Bank. The objections phase had finished and the plan is still under final approval by Supreme
23 /40 Planning Council / Ministry of Local Government and then the implementation phase as a final step.
The project is concerned with the following: a. Solve the dispute between Hebron and Yatta municipalities over the ownership of some territories. b. Increase the interest toward local council's villages which had been included officially to the new master plan of Yatta (Zeif, Khairoshiewish, Al-Haileh, Wad-Ezeiz).In addition, working on activating the services, solve regulatory issues by the application of buildings & planning system to reduce the haphazard use of these areas. c. The inclusion of infrastructure projects for all areas within the municipality operational and strategic plans. 3) Buildings License and Reduction of Violations: A possess of continuation of urban planning operation and violations reduction of the buildings by legal means. Additionally, an adoption of an annual discount on buildings fees for four months each year. Increase the community awareness and promoting the importance of compliance with the buildings & planning system to double the percentage of revenues and reduce the rate of violations. The most important obstacle in this domain is the unavailability of a judge in Yatta Magistrate Court to take over this kind of suits. 4) The Municipal Property of Developed and Non-Developed Lands.
No Group sub-group Unit Quantity Book value (NIS) 1 Unused lands (vacant or agricultural) m2 149,128 11,691,150 2 Developed lands Lands under the 2.1 m2 70,263 4,089,564 Public Utilities Lands Under Under schools m2 66,747 10,662,000 2.2 Buildings Under stores and the buildings of m2 3,530 1,617,280
24 /40 No Group sub-group Unit Quantity Book value (NIS) public utilities Lands Under Under paved roads m2 484,255 0 2.3 Roads Under unpaved roads m2 850,000 0 2.4 Lands within the division of water systems m2 4,194 664,374 * Total of the area of developed lands m2 1,478,989 17,033,218 ** The Total of all Developed and Undeveloped Lands m2 1,628,117 28,724,368
5) Naming Streets and House Numbering:. It is a tourist map of the city represented in naming the main and interior streets, and numbering the houses and installations. Plus, exposing and naming the public utilities and the economic institutions and coming out with a touring guide to the city. 90% of the project has completed. Each road in the city got its name according to Palestinian naming system (1).The guidance banners were printed and fixed. 29,000 of House Number Plate had printed, still not fixed due to financial distress. Environment and Hygiene: Health services are classified in Yatta municipality according to the budget structure under (4) Items: solid waste collection service, crafts and industries, the management of banners and advertisements (still not active), and professions license service which fees levied by the Ministry of Finance. One of the most important services provided by the municipality is the management of solid waste collection and disposal of wastes: domestic or industrial or medical, agricultural, commercial. Besides, clean the squares and streets of the city. The municipality also does a permanent control over food and commodities in the markets and shops in terms of price, quality and validity. Moreover, the disposal of expired goods and Impose sanctions on law breakers, in cooperation with the police and the Ministry of National Economy. The most important data in this sector are the following:- a) The scope of service covering more than (30 km2) after the expansion of the municipal boundaries. b) The collection and the transfer of more than (50) tons per day from the city to the Landfill. c) The number of solid waste containers: 380 containers with a capacity of 1.10 m³, 24 containers with a capacity of 3.3 m³, 15 containers with a capacity of 4 m³. d) Solid waste collection vehicles: (4) freight vehicle with the baler, (2) Tractor with a cart, (1) shipping vehicle. e) The municipality recently submitted a tender to supply (50) new container with a capacity of 1,100 liters. f) The number of subscribers of waste fees is (10,000). g) Operational expenses for this service is at a rate of 140 (NIS) per ton or 7000 (NIS) per day. h) The number of subscribers of crafts and industries is (2450).
Public Health: The city has many governmental and private health facilities in all medical needs. The most important health institution in the city is Abu Hassan Al Qasem hospital, which opened in 2004. It provides medical care to all regions of south Hebron (about 250,000 people).
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The hospital is developed annually. A new floor has been recently added to the building to expand surgical ward. In 2013 the hospital friends committee was formed in order to improve medical services in the region and to provide medical staff and necessary devices in cooperation with the Ministry of Health, and to achieve its objectives and vision toward the residents of the region. One of the most important needs of the hospital is: - The development of operating rooms and the provision of the necessary medical staff to carry out specialized surgical, orthopedic, abdominal and other operations. - Rehabilitating the road leading from the city center to the hospital.
Sewage Stream & Sanitation: Yatta city suffers since decades from the sewage stream of Hebron and Kiryat Arba' (settlement).The (9 km) uncovered sewage stream passes through residential areas dividing the city into two banks and causing serious health and environmental disasters in the region.
26 /40 Hebron governorate has obtained a project for sanitation network funded by the World Bank to serve all the cities and the villages of the governorate in the south. But, Hebron municipality exploits the project to build a treatment plant on the common border between borders between Yatta and Hebron under the pretext of inadequate funding. The treatment plant suggested to be built in the north of Yatta near Yatta residential communities which causes severe damage to the people. This step will add another 40 years of suffering especially after Hebron covered the part of the sewage stream which passes their land and left the southern part opened causing a serious environmental and health crises. Therefore, Yatta municipality makes an objection to the project. Finally it was agreed with the Ministry of Local Government and the Environment Authority on covering the southern part of the stream by pipeline. The Municipality has worked with all the ministries and agencies in order to insert the pipelines item within the treatment plant project at a cost of $ 6 million. For instance, this line will be the main carrier pipes line for Yatta sanitation project in the future since Yatta inhabitant use Cesspits which is now threatening infrastructure and groundwater. For instance, Yatta has no public sewage network. Every house has his own cesspit under his house so the city is floating on a lake of wastewater. Local Economy: 1. Yatta economy depends on several sectors; the major one is Israeli labor market, where it forms about 75% of the working force. The field survey results showed the distribution of the labor force according to their economic activity as follows: Sector Percent Israeli Labor Market 75% Government And Privet Sector Jobs 8% Industry Sector 2% Trade Sector 8% Agriculture Sector 7% Total 100%
2. Yatta city has several economic and industrial activities such as: (4) Small factories, (5) Gas distribution stations, (10) Stone quarries, (20) brick, tile and small factories, (1000) Grocery, (70) Clothes and shoes boutique, (25) Butchery, (50) Forge, (40) Carpentry, (70) Public services centers. (80) Shops, (4) Branches of banks (housing, Palestine Bank, Arab Bank, Arab Islamic Bank), ATM of Cairo Amman Bank and Bank of Jordan. (15) Fruit and vegetable market, (8) Construction materials factories, (15) Exhibition electrical instruments, (12) Furniture gallery. (20) Automobile exhibitions. (50) Repairing and maintenance shop, (4) Wedding Halls (4) Small Football Playgrounds. Local Economic Development (LED): Yatta Municipality seeks to develop its economic future and improve the standard of living through (LGCP) programs and capacity building of local communities in Palestinian areas. The municipality has been able to receive a (102,100) Euros grant from the (VNG) international cooperation and 33,000 Euros from local contribution. The most important outcomes are: 1. A survey of the whole economic institutions in the city. 2. Preparation of a study about all the development sectors in the city and its relation to the local economic development.
27 /40 3. Establishment of the Economic Development Unit and its inclusion in the organizational structure of the municipality. 4. Establishment of a Local Economy Council led by the municipality. It formed from foundations, businessmen and other economic institutions. 5. Integration of the private sector, the community, owners of small enterprises in the development process. 6. Yatta Spring Festival 2016 from 11-13/5/2016, which was inaugurated by the prime minister and ambassador of the Netherlands at municipal park (Karmil) in order to promote national industrial and agricultural products. 7. Preparation of a strategic plan for economic development to encourage local investment. 8) The formation of an economic alliance with the private sector. The most important implemented economic projects in this field are: Development of the municipal park in Al-Karmil area by building a cafeteria, as well as the supply of children games (amusement park), chairs and sunshades for the visitors. Communications: Yatta City connected to the communication network and the World Wide Web (Internet), and there is about 60% of the houses have home phone. Plus, there are 5 companies in Yatta are providing people with internet access. The region suffers from a bad & random distribution of wireless network. Too, 40% of residents do not receive communication service.
Public Utilities:
1. Yatta Municipality Stadium: The municipality developed the stadium walls, corridor sand amphitheater to become international one and to match FIFA standards. The stadium has gone through many developments and expansions such as grassing, lighting, circling, rehabilitation of the parking and building health units. The most necessary remaining phases represented in supplying transformer stations and lighting towers.
28 /40 2. Yatta Municipality Park: Yatta Municipality Park is located in Al- Karmil area (5 km from the downtown). This archaeological pond has been invested to be the main entertainment destination for people. Notably, the ownership of the Al- Karmil old pond and the surrounding land (13 acres) had devolved to the Municipality through legal procedures in 2003.
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The park basic facilities, infrastructure and gardens such as (walls, electricity, and gardening) had been rehabilitated. More than 1,500 trees & seeding were implanted. Also, municipality provided amusement games & toys within the economic development project funded by USAID and Al- Maqasid Hospital in Jerusalem. The park still need many phases to be opened to visitors, the most important ones are children pools, green yards, parking and illumination. 3. The Public Parking: Yatta municipality bought the (Garage) land which located in Yatta downtown in order to provide a proper public parking for public cars. Its goal is: to organize internal and external travel, to solve the problem of the environmental crisis in the region and to reduce the traffic jam. Since the land located in the city center it used to be the main popular market in Yatta where traders used to sell everything (Vegetables, Fruit, Clothing…). After the municipality bought the land, it built a wall surrounding it and removed the stalls. Today, the parking is almost ready to be used (The parking needs sunshades and a service building).
30 /40 4. Vehicle Inspection Station (Dynamometer): Yatta municipality vehicle inspection station was founded in 2011 and began its work in March 2014. It was officially opened by the beginning of 2015 and it serves Yatta and south Hebron citizens, in particular, i.e (More than 200 thousand people and inhabitants of the West Bank in general).
The station is provided with modern inspections machines and it is officially licensed and it its run by Professional and qualified staff. The station revenues forms (3.3%) of the total revenue budget of the municipality, which contribute to the operation of Yatta municipality community center for People with special needs. In 2016 the Municipality has established a service building including a restaurant, cafeteria and public services office for people.
31 /40 5. Cattle Market: The municipality rented a land in (Al-Farrash site) located in the west of Yatta. The land was rehabilitated and fenced by the municipality. Furthermore, it built a heath unit in the land and provided security and cleaning services besides water supply. 6. Public Services Center (OSS) : The One Stop Shop is located in the ground floor of the municipality building and it provides more than (28) various services to citizens in all fields. For example a. Buildings and land. b. Water. c. Trades and industries. d. Solid waste management. e. Other services such as: certificate of occupancy, property tax, different types of certificates.
The center is equipped with computerized systems for Billing, Archiving and Building Licensing System and others. It's run by Professional and qualified staff and its collections form (60%) of total annual municipal revenues. The Public Services Center or (One Stop Shop) is such an important mean through which to achieve the vision of the Electronic Municipality. 7. The Community Center: Yatta Municipality Community Center has been developed as one of the municipality departments to take advantage of the project (Addressing the social needs of disabled). It was funded by the Italian Government program (PMSP) through the Ministry of Local Government - General Directorate of boards of common services. The project was carried out in cooperation with Qader institute in Bethlehem. The community center offers a new level of services in terms of:
32 /40 a. The adoption of the social services to address the social needs of disabled. b. The center offers direct services to individuals with disabilities which is the most important requirement for this category. c. The opening of the Audiometric ward in 2014, with high quality equipment, provided to the Center. Such a service does not exist in the neighboring villages and that’s what makes it unique.
However, the municipality as a result of the low income and high expenses, demands the Ministry of Social Affairs and the Ministry of Health to adopt the Center. 8. The Municipal Library: It was founded in year 2000 in the building of Yatta Charity Association. In 2008 moved to its current location on the second floor of the municipal building. It was equipped and furnished after getting a grant from (Save the Children Foundation). The municipality always seeks to improve the performance of the library and to increase in the number of books. Today, there is more than11,000 various book (scientific, historical, novels, short stories, research references…). The municipality is constantly striving to organize cultural activities and evenings, hosting writers, poets and lecturers on various topics (Local and national).
Electricity and Solar Energy: Yatta lit up with electricity in 1984.Today 95% of houses and establishments in the city have been linked to the electricity network which comes from the Israeli electricity company.
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The municipality was the responsible of the distribution and the management of electricity until 2004.At that point, SELCO electricity company was founded through the membership of (4) municipalities: Yatta, Dura, Al-Dhahreyah and Beit Ommar. Then Beit Ommar withdrew from the membership leaving the company for the three mentioned municipalities. Currently, SELECO through its branches and in collaboration with the municipalities manage the electricity sector by developing the networks and improving the power stations capacity in the region
.SELECO important achievements: a. The periodic maintenance projects for networks. b. Streets lighting services. c. Extension of electricity network for new areas and operating electric power- stations (400 KVA). Else, replacing the aerial electricity network with underground network. d. The establishment of the headquarters SELECO/ Yatta branch: the two-story building was constructed with estimated budget of (1.1 million NIS). It is equipped to help the company improving its services.
34 /40 e. Installation of meter to measure the electricity consumption. f. An important achievement of Yatta Branch in cooperation with the municipality after the procrastination the Israeli company to install a meter on Yatta territory for many years. This big step save about (1.5-2 million NIS) per month. g. Prepayment and collections: the ratio of pre-pay meters subscriptions reached 90%, which contributed to reduce the loss and increase the percentage of monthly collections from 40% to 90%. Solar Energy (solar cells): is a project to link the municipal building with solar energy using solar cells. It was funded by (GIZ) Foundation, in collaboration with the Energy Research Center in Al- Najah National University. It was one of six municipalities in the West Bank, in response to the decision of the Palestinian government in March 2012 related to the National Renewable Energy Strategy prepared by the Palestinian Energy Authority. As a result, (33) solar cell were installed on the roof of the municipal library building since the beginning of 2014. The capacity is 190 OWP for each. There are solar power adapter connected to the network transfer the direct current to alternating current. The system is used since 2014. Yatta municipality contracted with SELECO to connect the solar power system with the local electricity network. This agreement enabled the municipality to save electricity prices by 10% of the monthly consumption. The Municipality Vehicles: The municipality uses the following vehicles to carry out its various activities and works in the fields. Vehicles Owned by the Municipality # Vehicle Type Number of vehicles 1 Crane trucks + compress trucks 5 2 Cargo truck ( tipper ) 1 3 Trucks (water tankers) 4 4 Small Trucks: 4-5 Tons. 2 5 Private vehicles for employees + a funeral car 1+5 6 Bus / 20 passenger 1 7 Backhoe JCB + CUTTER PILLAR 2 8 Bulldozer 1 9 Road roller 2.7 tons 1 10 Bob Cat 1 11 Tractors 2 12 Electricity Generator (Automatic) 1 *** Total 27
The Governmental Institutions, Directorates: In cooperation with some institutions in the city the municipality has developed and opened a number of governmental directorates and centers, aiming to achieve the followings: a. Fulfillment of his Excellency (president of Palestine) vision about the institutions of the state. b. The provision of adequate services for the city and its countryside. c. Reducing burden on Yatta citizens and the directorates of the other governorates. d. Upgrading the city and make them keep pace with.
35 /40 Most Important Institutions are (others are listed below):
1. YATA Magistrate Court: It was established in 2014 and officially opened on 1/2/2015. It includes the Court Section and the Public Prosecution Department and provides services to more than 150,000 citizens in Yatta, its villages, its travelers, the village of Al-Reheyah, the town of Samoua and the entire area of Yatta.
The Court provides quality service in the field of justice, the rule of law and the preservation of the prestige of the State, with the support of civil society institutions and local security institutions.
2. Directorate of Education: Established in 2014 and officially opened by his Excellency Dr. Rami Al- Hamdalla on 1/2/2015 in order to serve more than (82) schools, about (24,000) students and (1500) teachers in Yatta and its countryside.
36 /40 3. Directorate of Health:
Was established in 2015 in a rented building at the expense of the municipality for two years, and then the municipality in cooperation with the Ministry of Health finishing , equip and furnishing the premise, and started its work in mid-2015, and officially opened on 11/5/2016.
4. Directorate of Traffic and Transportation: Established in 2013 and officially opened in 2015. Yatta municipality work on upgrading this directorate and recruits the needed funds for its building and finishing through MDLF (Municipalities Development and Lending Fund) whish was the real partner and coordinator to achieve this prosperous accomplishment in cooperation with ministry of transportation. The premise, with all its technical and architectural specifications and strategic location, will serve a large number of citizens in the southern area of the west bank. In addition, it will reduce citizens' suffering regarding transportation sector by reducing distances and time. The project helped to encourage the Palestinian National Authority to open the rest of the city's directorates such as the Education Directorate, the Health Directorate and the Magistrate's Court.
37 /40 The opening of the Directorate encouraged the population to develop technical workshops and public service offices, activate trade and tourism movement in the project area and the city in general and provide many jobs and jobs. 5. Directorate of Interior: Its work represented in printing passports, identity cards, birth and death certificates and everything related to the residents local registrations. 6. Police Station: The Municipality work on upgrading Yatta police station to a Police Directorate by assigning a land and preparing the necessary design and drawings for the building in cooperation with the government and the local community. 7. Civil Defense Office: Is one of the institutions which were established by the efforts of the municipality and it is expected to be upgraded to a directorate very soon. 8. Agriculture and Veterinary office: The Agriculture and Veterinary office is still at the level of a unit. The municipality demands in upgrading the office to two separated directorates taking into consideration that Yatta has the largest percentage of livestock in the West Bank. 9. Vocational Training Center: It is a center related to the Ministry of Labor. It is concerned with the training of young men and women who missed their academic education or the opportunity to have a profession in the labor market. There is a gradually increasing of the number of the enrolled in the Center as a result of the high rate of unemployment.
For instants, 60% of local income depends on the workers in Israel; most of them do not have legal work permissions because of labor laws in Israel.
38 /40 The Vocational Training Center, working in cooperation with the municipality and the ministry on the activation of educational activities in the field of public safety and the rights of workers through seminars and lectures held at the municipal hall. The municipality has developed the building facilities by rehabilitation of the outside yards, cars parking, a well, a cesspit and walls. The Center administration in cooperation with the municipality and the Ministry of Work is working to increase the number of skilled workers besides the provision of necessary training for the most demanding professions in the local market, for example tiling and blacksmithing.
The List of Local Institutions (Civil and Governmental Institutions):
Serially No. Name of Institution (in English) Name (in Arabic) Classification Political إقلٌم حركة فتح (Fateh (PLO 1 1 Security األمن الوقائً Protective Security 2 2 Security المخابرات Security Intelligence 3 3 Syndicate المكتب الحركً لألطباء فً ٌطا Doctors Union 4 4 Legislative مكتب أبو علً ٌطا Abu- Ali Yatta office 5 5 Association جمعٌة الجنوب للتكافل االجتماعً South Association for Social Solidarity 1 6 Association الجمعٌة التعاونٌة لعصر الزٌتون The Collaborative Assembly for olive extraction 2 7 Association مركز نرسان الثقافً Nersan cultural center 3 8 Association الجمعٌة اإلسالمٌة لرعاٌة األٌتام Islamic Assembly for orphans 4 9 Association جمعٌة ٌطا الخٌرٌة Yatta Charity 5 10 Association لجنة الزكاة Al-Zakat committee 6 11 Association نادي االستقالل الرٌاضً Al-Isteklal Club / football team 7 12 Association نادي شباب ٌطا الرٌاضً .Yatta Youth Sports Club / football team 8 13 Association جمعٌة الهالل األحمر الفلسطٌنً The Palestinian Red Crescent society 9 14 Association جمعٌة أرض األطفال land of the Children Society 10 15 Association االتحاد العام لنقابات عمال فلسطٌن General Confederation of Labor Syndicates in Palestine 11 16 Association جمعٌة الجنوب لتأهٌل ورعاٌة المعاقٌن .Southern Association for Disables Care 12 17 Association جمعٌة سٌدات ٌطا .Palestinian Women Association for development 13 18 Association مركز فلسطٌن النسوي الخٌري Ladies of Yatta association 14 19 Association نادي رقعة النسوي Raq'a Women Club 15 20 Association اتحاد المعلمٌن Teachers Union 16 21 Association مركز البخاري Palestinian Artists House 17 22 Association جمعٌة التعلٌم العالً Higher Education Association 18 23 Governmental Directorate مكتب برٌد ٌطا Yatta Post Office 1 24 Governmental Directorate مدٌرٌة النقل والمواصالت Directorate of Transportation 2 25 Governmental Directorate مدٌرٌة التربٌة والتعلٌم / ٌطا Directorate of Education 3 26 Governmental Directorate محكمة صلح ٌطا Magistrate Court of Yatta 4 27 Governmental Directorate محكمة ٌطا الشرعٌة Legal Court of Yatta 5 28 Governmental Directorate مدٌرٌة أوقاف ٌطا Directorate of al –Awqaf 6 29 Governmental Directorate مدٌرٌة عمل ٌطا Directorate of Labor 7 30 Governmental Directorate مدٌرٌة الشؤون االجتماعٌة Directorate of social affairs 8 31 Governmental Directorate مكتب الزراعة والبٌطرة Agriculture and Veterinary Office 9 32 Governmental Directorate مكتب الداخلٌة Directorate of Interior 10 33 Governmental Directorate مكتب ضرٌبة األمالك والمالٌة Property and Finance Tax Department 11 34 Governmental Directorate مركز الدفاع المدنً Civil Defense Directorate 12 35 Governmental Directorate مكتب االرتباط المدنً Civil Liaison Office 13 36 Governmental Directorate مركز شرطة ٌطا Police office of Yatta 14 37 Governmental Directorate مدٌرٌة صحة ٌطا Directorate of Health 15 38 Governmental Hospital مستشفى أبو الحسن القاسم الحكومً Yatta Hospital 16 39 Privet sector جامعة القدس المفتوحة Al –Quds Open University 1 40 Privet sector الغرفة التجارٌة والصناعٌة Chamber of Commerce and Industry 2 41 Privet sector مشفى االعتماد التخصصً Al-Etemad Privet Hospital 3 42
39 /40 Serially No. Name of Institution (in English) Name (in Arabic) Classification Privet sector مشفى ناصر للتولٌد والجراحة Naser hospital for Maternity And Surgery 4 43 Privet sector مركز فادي الطبً التخصصً Fadi Medical Center 5 44 Privet sector بنك فلسطٌن Bank of Palestine 6 45 Privet sector بنك اإلسكان Housing Bank 7 46 Privet sector البنك اإلسالمً العربً Arab Islamic Bank 8 47 Privet sector البنك العربً Arab Bank 9 48 Electricity شركة كهرباء الجنوب South Electricity Company 10 49
Municipal and Village Councils:
Serially No. Name (in English) Name (in Arabic) Classification Municipality بندية يطا Municipality of Yatta 1 50 Services council وجنس امخدوات امىشرتكة Joint Services Council 2 51 Municipality بندية امكرول Municipality of Al Karmil 3 52 Village council وجنس قروي بيت عىرا Beit Emrah Village Council 4 53 Village council وجنس قروي خنة امىية Village Council of Khallet Al - Mayah 5 54 Village council وجنس قروي وصافر يطا Al- Masafer Village Council 6 55 Village council وجنس قروي شوشية Susia Village Council 7 56 Village council وجنس قروي اونزيل Emneizil Village Council 8 57 Village council وجنس قروي خشه امدرج عرب امهذامني Village Council Khashm Al Daraj Arab Hathalin 9 58 Village council وجنس قروي امكعابنة امزويدني Village Councilof Alkabna Najadah 10 59 Village council وجنس قروي امكعابنة امنجادة Village Councilof Alkabna Zuidine 11 60 Village council وجنس قروي أم امخري Village Council Umm Al - Khair 12 61 Village council وجنس قروي امتوانة Twani Village Council 13 62
Facilities of Yatta Municipality:
Serially No. Name Phone Number 63 1 Yatta Municipality Community Center 2270330 64 2 Yatta Municipality Dynamometer 2270441 65 3 Library of Yatta Municipality 2275596 66 4 OSS (Public Service Center) 2279969
With Best Regards,
Prepared By: Eng. Ibrahim Shamisti Head of the Internal Control Unit Yatta Municipality
Translated By: Miss Laila Housheyah Secretary / Yatta Municipality
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