The United States, through the US Agency for International Development (USAID), delivered 20 new, locally-manufactured buses to the North Sinai governorate on Tuesday.
According to an USAID press statement, these buses, worth $1.8m (EGP 28.4m), will ensure that communities in Central Sinai have access to workplaces, commerce, education, and government services.
USAID Acting Mission Director, Margaret Sancho, and North Sinai Governor, Major General Mohamed Abdel-Fadel Shousha, attended a handover event at the Manufacturing Commercial Vehicles factory in Sharqia Governorate.
The buses will support more than 6,400 students across the governorate and ensure that youth, specifically girls, are able to continue their secondary education. The buses will also be used to transport residents living in Central Sinai to larger coastal cities where job opportunities, municipal services, and commerce are more readily available.
During the handover event, Acting Mission Director Sancho said, “The donation of these buses embodies our government’s commitment to the well-being of the people of North Sinai.”
This donation follows Ambassador Cohen and Acting Mission Director Sancho’s visit to North Sinai in June 2021 where they met with Governor Shousha and toured the USAID-funded main desalination facility in Al Arish that provides 126,000 residents with potable water.
Ambassador Cohen noted, “The United States, working together with our Egyptian partners, is committed to supporting stabilization and inclusive economic development to lay the foundation for a more prosperous and peaceful future. These buses follow a $50m US investment in clean water infrastructure in North Sinai.”
