During her visit to the Aswan Governorate, Dr. Nevine Al-Kabbaj, Minister of Social Solidarity, followed up on the activities of the World Food Program to support the needs of Sudanese refugees in Egypt. This initiative is part of the partnership between the Egyptian government and the World Food Program.
Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of International Cooperation, and Mr. Major General Ashraf Attia, Governor of Aswan, were present at the meeting. Ambassador Christian Berger, Head of the European Union Delegation to Egypt, and Mr. Gian Pietro Bordinho, Director of the Representative of the World Food Program Country Office in Egypt, also attended the meeting, which was held at the headquarters of the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport, South Valley Branch.
Al-Kabbaj stated that the ministry has 27 relief centers across the governorates of Egypt, where relief services are provided to the refugee guests of Egypt and their reintegration into society. In addition, she emphasized the role of the Egyptian Red Crescent, which has 32,000 volunteers and supports 14 countries abroad, as well as blood banks and medical convoys. She also stressed that the ministry supervises civil society organizations, and there are associations specialized in rapid relief response.
Furthermore, Dr. Al-Kabbaj explained that some services were provided to Sudanese expatriates due to the armed conflicts that arose in Sudan in the middle of last year, especially women who were used in the conflict in a manner inconsistent with human rights. She noted that Egypt’s doors are always open to brothers and hosts 9 million people on its land. Guests enjoy all the services that citizens receive, and there is a follow-up committee under the umbrella of the Prime Minister to monitor the contributions that the Egyptian state bears to care for its guests of various nationalities.
Dr. Al-Kabbaj also emphasized that the ministry’s role increases even more in the post-relief phase, which is related to social protection, especially for women and children, to protect them from all forms of violence. She added that an integrated life after relief is essential, and joint projects between Egyptian and Sudanese women are encouraged to facilitate the integration process. Additionally, there are friendly spaces for Sudanese children, and nurseries are available to care for them.
