The Delegation of the European Union in Tunisia has granted Tunisia a donation of € 32.9 million to finance the renovation and rehabilitation of 119 districts throughout the country, a project that will benefit nearly 700,000 living in these areas to improve their living conditions.
The French Development Agency will oversee the implementation of this program under a Delegation Agreement signed between the two parties, on July 2.
Tunisia has about 1,400 neighborhoods in its cities. They emerged spontaneously, especially around the big coastal cities. These areas, which are often home to families from inland regions of the country, came to seek employment in urban centers. This is a direct consequence of the social and economic disparities existing between the coast and inland.
The contribution of the European Union to finance the Priority Program for Integration of Popular Neighborhoods in Tunisia will allow the Agency for Rehabilitation and Urban Renewal (ARRU), an agency under the Ministry of Public Works and Housing in Tunisia, to build roads and develop sanitation and lighting networks in these 119 districts. This program will also create cultural and sports spaces in favor of young people, in particular, and spaces dedicated to generating economic activities income.
The Ministry of Infrastructure and the Agency for Rehabilitation and Urban Renewal will also receive technical assistance under this program to strengthen their capacities.
This program, with a total cost of € 217.5 million, will be financed jointly by the French Development Agency and the European Investment Bank. Its implementation is spread over four years from 2013. A first payment of € 11 million has already been made by the European Commission allowing ARRU to immediately launch sites in more than 30 districts.
