LE162,000 financial aid for North Sinai private-sector workers

CAIRO – 3 September 2018:Amid the difficult economic and political conditions in North Sinai, Minister of Manpower, Mohamed Saafan, decided to issue emergency financial aid for more than 332 workers.

According to a statement issued on Monday, Saafan approved issuing LE162,000 as financial aid to the workers affiliated with several private-sector companies as a result of the hard economic conditions in the governorate.

Saafan affirmed in statements that this decision aims to support the workers and the private sector companies which suffered as a result of the hard financial conditions in the governorate.

Sinai has been struggling financially as a result of several political and economic reasons, especially amid the war which was announced by the current government against terrorism and extremism.

Many military operations have been carried out by army and police forces, killing hundreds of militants and building a buffer zone along the border with Gaza, so that the Egyptian authorities can curb the flow of militants and weapons infiltrating through underground tunnels.

Egypt’s President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi authorized the army chief of staff to use “brutalforce” against terrorism.

In February, the Egyptian Armed Forces launched a full-scale military operation titled "Sinai 2018" to confront terrorist elements in Sinai and other areas across the country. Military spokesman Tamer el-Rafei announced a major military operation to purge the country from terrorism.