Members of the Men's Alliance in Khallet AlMayah Highlight the Suffering of 8,000 people from Weak Public Transportation

Wattan Media Network: About 8,000 people in Khallet AlMayah, east of Yatta-Hebron governorate, suffer from poor public transportation services, which affects their movement and makes it difficult for them to reach the city of Yatta.
People there are forced to travel in private transportation, most of which are unlicensed and illegal, on unpaved and bumpy roads, and on other roads known as the ‘Street of Death’ for its dangerousness, but this is beyond their control due to the nonexistence of public transportation.
Khallet AlMayah, is one of the marginalized rural areas Yatta in Hebron governorate, and it is located nine kilometers south of Hebron city and four kilometers east of Yatta, and includes 6 communities, with a population of about 8 thousand people, 4500 of them are women and they are the most suffering, besides that this area is classified as Area “C" according to the Oslo Accords.
The difficult situation in mobility and public transportation, pushed the Men’s Alliance which was established ADWAR Association, to intensify their efforts with the women protection committee in Khallet AlMayah to try and find a solution to this problem. Ismael Mohammad Khalil Muslim, a member of the Men’s Alliance said that the Alliance is communicating with the local NGOs, and official organizations, and stakeholders in order to find solutions to this problem.
It is noteworthy that the Men's Alliance was established in that rural area as part of the project "(Action, Pillar, Anchor) Positive masculinity for Societal Change and the Protection of Civic Participation of Women and Young Women”, within the framework of the Civic Participation and Community Engagement (CPCE) Project, implemented by Catholic Relief Services (CRS) in partnership with the Family Health International (fhi360) and funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Ismail Musallam revealed that the Alliance together with the Women's Protection Committee and several organizations held several discussions with the Directorate of Transportation and Public Transport-Hebron Governorate, and with the officers, in order to find a mechanism to solve the problem of transportation there.
He explained that the Khallet AlMayah suffers from severe lack of transportation, as there are only 3 legal/licensed cars there that transports people, in difficult conditions and high fare, moreover most of the available private transportation is carried in unlicensed and illegal vehicles.
Musallam clarified that the people would accept any solution to their problem, even if it is temporary, or by providing small public transport vehicles. Musallam added that the main road that links the village with Yatta has been paved and excavated, for a long period of time, and that the people refer to it as the "street of death" because of its extreme danger.
He stated that the Men’s Alliance provides full support to the Women's Protection Committee and promote their role in solving the problems of the community.
Musallam requested the local authorities to provide public transport vehicles and buses to alleviate the problem of mobility, and to alleviate the burden that resulted from the lack of public transport service for women, men and students. Since there is a large percentage of female students from these remote communities that drop out of school due to the inexistence of safe public transport and the spread of predators in these rural areas. Not to mention that the village also suffers from high unemployment.
Amro said that the women and men of the village knocked on all doors to achieve their demands, but to no avail, and that they look forward for the accountable local authorities to respond.