Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry met with the Senior Coordinator of the UN Humanitarian Affairs and Reconstruction in Gaza, Sigrid Kaag, on Tuesday and reiterated Egypt’s firm commitment to deliver humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip.
Kaag, who assumed the post under Security Council resolution 2720, was on her first visit to the region to facilitate, coordinate, and monitor the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Ambassador Ahmed Abu Zeid, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that Shoukry and Kaag discussed the disastrous humanitarian situation in Gaza and the challenges facing the service and humanitarian systems there.
Shoukry listened to Kaag’s vision of how to implement her tasks and priorities in the next stage.
They stressed the need to increase the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza to meet the urgent needs of the residents and to support the work of service facilities, hospitals, and relief agencies.
Shoukry expressed Egypt’s support for Kaag’s role and Egypt’s keenness to provide all facilities to enable her to perform her tasks and to ensure the full implementation of the Security Council resolution.
He said that the resolution reflected the awareness of the international community of the obstacles to the entry of aid into Gaza, and the responsibility of Israel to remove them and cooperate to speed up the process.
He also reaffirmed Egypt’s commitment to work on the sustainability of humanitarian assistance to Gaza, despite the deliberate obstruction by the Israeli side.
He urged the Security Council to assume its responsibility to facilitate the use of all available routes to and from Gaza.
He said that the current tragic situation required urgent assistance through direct routes without delay and that a ceasefire was the best way to end the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Kaag appreciated Egypt’s efforts to provide and deliver humanitarian assistance to Gaza and to push forward the Security Council resolution.
She also praised Egypt’s facilitation of the Rafah crossing by UN relief agencies to bring vital aid and supplies to the people of Gaza.
She said that the UN was keen to continue coordination and consultation with Egypt to ensure the implementation of its tasks.
Kaag is scheduled to visit Al-Arish airport and Rafah crossing on Wednesday, as part of her coordination efforts with all parties on the launch of the UN mechanism to speed up the entry of aid into Gaza.
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