In the spirit of the ‘Team Europe’ solidarity initiative, a pan-European effort has provided support to over 2,000 families in the Egyptian governorates of Qena, Sohag, and Kafr El-Sheikh.
The support was provided by the European Union (EU) Delegation in Egypt, the Embassy of Germany in Cairo, and the European Investment Bank (EIB).
The ‘Team Europe’ initiative coincides with Europe Day, celebrated every year on 9 May. The initiative is conducted in cooperation with the Misr El-Kheir Foundation, and sees the distribution of solidarity boxes filled with basic sustenance needs during the holy month of Ramadan.
Christian Berger, Head of the EU Delegation to Egypt, said, “This initiative comes from our hearts and with a deep feeling of solidarity with the most deserving families.”
He also said, “Especially in the month of Ramadan, this collaboration echoes the Team Europe spirit, and the wish to alleviate the immediate social and economic repercussions of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.”
Cyrill Nunn, Germany’s Ambassador in Cairo, added, “We have been living with the pandemic and its strains for more than a year now, and the hardship turns out even greater for the most vulnerable among us.”
“We are happy to partner up with the EU, the EIB, and others to support hundreds of families,” the ambassador said, “It is much more than just helping with food supply, it is also a message that people who feel marginalised are not forgotten.”
Alfredo Abad, Head of the EIB – Cairo office, said that supporting entrepreneurship, building the capacities of youth and women, and financing social infrastructure are at the heart of the bank’s activities worldwide.
He said, “Being the lending arm of the European Union, the EIB is supporting the Egyptian population by financing projects that achieve sustainable development.”
He also noted that, as part of Team Europe, the bank is taking part in distributing solidarity boxes to show appreciation to the most vulnerable members of community.
Mohamed Abdel-Rahman, Deputy Managing Director at the Misr El-Kheir Foundation, said, “Our cooperation with the EU is long-standing, and we thank them for participating in our campaign to provide the solidarity food boxes.”
“It is important that big entities cooperate with civil society institutions to support the most deserving societies,” he added, “The Misr El-Kheir Foundation has been able to provide more than 95 million services to deserving families in six main areas, namely education, health, social solidarity, scientific research, and integrated development.”
It is worth mentioning that the ‘Team Europe’ initiative supports partner countries around the world in easing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. In Egypt, it is an integral part of the broader cooperation framework and the support through international initiatives like COVAX, a global initiative to support equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines.
