Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty met with Filippo Grandi, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), on Monday, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. During the meeting, Abdelatty highlighted the increasing number of refugees and asylum-seekers entering Egypt from neighbouring countries facing political, security, and humanitarian crises.
He stated that Egypt is now among the top three countries globally in receiving new asylum requests, underscoring the significant strain on the country’s resources.
Abdelatty expressed appreciation for UNHCR’s ongoing collaboration with the Egyptian government, commending the role of the UNHCR office in Cairo in supporting the government’s efforts to provide protection and care for refugees and asylum-seekers residing in Egypt.
He expressed hope to strengthen this partnership to provide further support to refugees and asylum-seekers, alleviate the burden on Egypt, and support the host community.
“We are committed to fulfilling our international obligations,” said Abdelatty, “but the support we receive from the international community is not enough to meet the growing needs of those seeking refuge in Egypt.”
He urged UNHCR to intensify its efforts with donor agencies and international partners to address existing funding gaps and mobilise greater support for Egypt. He stressed the importance of upholding the principle of sharing burdens and responsibilities when dealing with refugee crises.
Beyond the refugee situation, the two officials discussed developments in Gaza and Sudan. Abdelatty emphasised the importance of highlighting the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza and the violations against civilians due to the Israeli aggression.
He affirmed Egypt’s rejection of attempts to liquidate the Palestinian cause and any scenarios aimed at destroying Palestinian lands and displacing Palestinians from their homeland.
Abdelatty stressed the need to continue pressure on Israel to reach a ceasefire agreement, halt the targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure, allow the delivery of urgent humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza, remove all obstacles to the entry of emergency humanitarian aid, and respect the principles of international law, international humanitarian law, and international human rights law.
Regarding Sudan, Abdelatty presented Egypt’s efforts to provide all forms of support to its Sudanese counterparts, continuing to work towards a comprehensive ceasefire and increasing the flow of aid. This aims to help Sudan overcome the current crisis and achieve stability.
