CAIRO – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigration and Affairs of Egyptians Abroad affirmed that Egypt, by virtue of its geographical location, will remain a key hub for humanitarian work and will continue to respond to the humanitarian needs arising from crises and disasters.
In a press statement released Monday on the occasion of World Humanitarian Day, the Ministry stated that Egypt is deeply committed to humanity, neutrality, impartiality, integrity, independence, and the avoidance of politicization as fundamental principles of humanitarian action.
Egypt highly values efforts made by all humanitarian workers and the heroes who work under extremely difficult conditions, risking their lives to save others, provide protection, and alleviate suffering, read the statement.
In this context, Egypt also commends the important and noble role played by Egyptian civil society organizations to mobilize and provide urgent relief aid, the statement said.
Egypt praises the significant role of the UN and international organisations and agencies operating in this field and reaffirms its support for them, it added.
The Ministry pointed out that this year’s World Humanitarian Day coincides with the humanitarian disaster in the Gaza Strip and the continued suffering of the Palestinian people due to the ongoing war for more than 10 months, during which there have been blatant violations of international humanitarian law, including targeting humanitarian workers and aid, and preventing the entry of that aid as part of a collective punishment policy aimed at starving civilians and imposing a siege on them.
Since the beginning of the war in Gaza, Egypt has been committed to providing assistance to the Palestinian brethren to alleviate their suffering and meet their urgent humanitarian needs, including medicine, medical supplies, and food, according to the statement.
Egypt has also opened its doors to the wounded, their families, and others fleeing the horrors of the armed conflict in Palestine, the statement said.
Egypt has not forgotten the Sudanese brethren, as it has received more than 500,000 Sudanese since the crisis erupted in April 2023 and has provided them with all necessary support and care, the Ministry noted.
This is in addition to another five million Sudanese who were already residing in Egypt, where the Egyptian people, as usual, demonstrated a model of fraternal humanitarian solidarity with their southern neighbors, the statement noted.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that Egypt will continue its leading humanitarian role in the region, maintain its humanitarian response to multiple crises, and continue its solidarity with brethren in hardships, supporting the interconnected approach between humanitarian work, development, and peace.
The statement concluded with a tribute to all humanitarian workers and to all who believe in noble humanitarian values on this day, especially those who have sacrificed their lives to save others, including the high-ranking Egyptian UN official Nadia Younes, who was martyred in the attack on the UN mission headquarters in Baghdad on August 19, 2003, a day that has since been dedicated annually to remember all humanitarian workers who have lost their lives.
