EU grants €5.4M to UNICEF to provide essential services to over 100K Palestinian Children evacuated to Egypt

CAIRO – 11 September 2024: The European Union (EU) donated €5.4 million to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) to provide urgent support to over 100,000 Palestinian children as well as their caregivers and adult patients evacuated from Gaza to North Sinai.

The services will be provided in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Population, other ministries, and the Egyptian Red Crescent.

The announcement was made by UNICEF Tuesday in tandem with a visit by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell who was holding an official visit to Egypt's Cairo and Arish.

The UNICEF's statement indicated that the grant would enhance essential services, and resilience for host communities in the Governorate of North Sinai and nearby areas.

"It will address the immediate needs in North Sinai and surrounding governorates, focusing on improving access to essential health and nutrition services, ensuring continuous quality education, providing psychosocial support, delivering integrated social care, and maintaining safe water, sanitation, and hygiene services. Additionally, the initiative will strengthen the capacity of health and social care professionals and fortify the health system's response capacity to future crises through improved secondary and tertiary care capabilities," the statement clarified.

On this occasion, Jeremy Hopkins, UNICEF Representative in Egypt, stated, "our commitment through this initiative is not just about urgently required assistance to vulnerable children but also about building resilience and sustainability in the face of ongoing challenges. We value our partnership with the European Union, the Egyptian Government, and the Egyptian Red Crescent. We must ensure that critical services reach every child, and we reaffirm our commitment not to leave any child behind during these critical times.”

On his side, Borrell noted that, “alleviating the suffering of the civilian population in Gaza is our utmost priority, especially when it comes to children. The EU and its member states are the biggest humanitarian donor for the people in Gaza. With this €5.4 million grant, we continue to provide concrete support to UNICEF, that in cooperation with the Egyptian authorities, will bring relief to over 100 000 vulnerable children. What is happening in Gaza is a tragedy, only a ceasefire through the ongoing negotiations will be able to halt the suffering of the civilian population.”