Sisi, UNHCR chief discuss further cooperation amid Egypt’s responsibilities towards refugees

CAIRO – 29 May 2023: President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi have discussed further cooperation between Egypt and the UNHCR amid the country’s responsibilities towards refugees.

In a meeting on Monday in Cairo, Sisi and Grandi discussed enhancing cooperation in light of Egypt being a destination for refugees coming from a number of sisterly countries and living side by side with the Egyptian people as brothers and guests, the Egyptian Presidency said in a statement.

Grandi hailed the Egyptian pivotal role on the regional and international levels within this framework, praising Egypt’s efforts to host the largest number of refugees of different nationalities.

He highlighted the UNHCR’s keenness to enhance cooperation with Egypt.

Grandi said that he witnessed the huge efforts made by the relevant Egyptian entities in cooperation with the UN bodies and the Egyptian Red Crescent to extend support to the Sudanese and other nationals during his recent visit to the Egyptian-Sudanese border crossings.

The international community and donors have to lend a helping hand to the countries hosting refugees and which were affected by human displacement, the UNHCR chief said.

For his part, President Sisi hailed the decades-long cooperation between Egypt and the UNHCR and the efforts that the agency makes on the international level amid the exacerbation of the refugee crisis worldwide.

Sisi also stressed the need to tackle the phenomenon of refugee flows and all forms of displacement through a comprehensive approach that addresses the roots of the crises related to settling disputes and achieves security, political stability and comprehensive sustainable development.

The meeting also discussed the situation of the displacement cases in Sudan in light of the current crisis. In this regard, Grandi praised Egypt’s intensified efforts to help settle the crisis and restore security and stability in Sudan.

Grandi has made an official visit to Egypt, during which he visited the Qustul crossing on the Egyptian-Sudanese border to make sure that the adequate support is provided to the Sudanese refugees at the border.

According to the UN, Egypt is the largest host of Sudanese refugees amid the ongoing crisis.

Egypt has received more than 164,000 Sudanese people since the outbreak of the crisis in Sudan in mid-April, Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid said on Twitter on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Egypt also hosts around 9 million migrants and refugees from several countries, which are granted access to basic services, especially health and education.