Providing humanitarian support for civilians affected by the
current conflict was the focus of the Minister for the Middle
East's, , first official visit to
the region this week.
Announcing a new package of support to assist civilians medically
evacuated from Gaza to Egypt, the Minister pledged £1 million of
UK assistance to the Egyptian Ministry of Health that will
support medically evacuated civilians from Gaza who are receiving
care in Egypt.
Delivered through the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Egypt,
the funding will provide vital medical supplies and medications,
including chemotherapy and rehabilitative equipment, to those in
need. It will also strengthen capacity to care for patients from
Gaza with chronic diseases.
Minister for the Middle East said:
“As a key regional partner, Egypt plays a central role alongside
the UK in working for stability and security across the Middle
East and driving forward de-escalation efforts in both Gaza and
Lebanon.
“The worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to bring
devastation to many lives, with many requiring life-saving
support over the border in Egypt. That's why, alongside our
Egyptian partners, we are funding life-saving treatments and
support for medically evacuated civilians from Gaza.
“At Al Arish, I saw that many tonnes of lifesaving aid continue
to be denied entry into Gaza by Israel. As winter approaches,
Israel can and must do more to ensure aid flows freely into Gaza
and to facilitate the UN and humanitarian agencies to carry out
their work safely.
“I signed a new UK-Egypt Memorandum of Understanding on
sustainable food security, launching a new partnership between
our two countries to tackle a critical global challenge.”
The announcement came during the Minister's visit to Al-Arish,
where he met with the North Sinai Governor to discuss aid flows
into Gaza. Here, the Minister visited the Egyptian Red Crescent's
warehouse and Al-Arish General Hospital to see how UK funding to
WHO Egypt will be used.
The Minister also met with Egypt's Foreign Minister, Badr
Abdelatty where he thanked Egypt for its ongoing role in getting
aid into Gaza and agreed the need to continue working together
for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon. Minister Falconer
also raised the consular case of Alaa Abd El-Fattah and called
for quick progress on his release.
As Egypt is a regional leader in ensuring sustainable food
security for the Middle East and Africa, the Minister also agreed
a landmark UK-Egypt Memorandum of Understanding on Food Security
with Rania Al Mashat, Minister of International Cooperation
and Alaa Farouk, Minister of Agriculture. The
agreement includes technical assistance to advance
sustainable agribusiness practice and increase crop yield in
Egypt.
Speaking on today's funding announcement, World Health
Organisation Representative to Egypt Dr Nima Abid said:
“WHO values its long-standing partnership with the British
government, and we are deeply grateful for this generous
contribution from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development
Office.
“This support will enable WHO, in collaboration with the Ministry
of Health and Population, to deliver critical supplies to
Egyptian hospitals and equip healthcare workers to meet the
urgent needs of medical evacuees from Gaza. I would also like to
express my appreciation for the government of Egypt for its vital
role in treating patients from Gaza and in facilitating their
safe evacuation to other countries as well.”
The UK continues to play a leading role in alleviating the
suffering in Gaza and continues to provide significant funding to
partners to support those most in need. The UK has already
provided 78,000 shelter items, 76,000 wound care kits, and 1.3
million items of medicine.
The UK trebled its aid commitment to the OPTs in the last
financial year and this Government will maintain significant
funding this financial year to support trusted aid
agencies on the ground.
The UK continues to call for an immediate ceasefire on all fronts
and continues to push for urgent aid to enter Gaza and reach
those most in need.
Background
- The FCDO currently advises against all but essential travel
to the Egyptian desert west and south of the oases of Fayoum,
Bahariya, Farafra, Dakhla and Kharga, except for:
- The coastal areas between the Nile Delta and Marsa Matruh
- The Marsa Matruh-Siwa road
- The oasis town of Siwa
- For further information on Egypt travel advice,
visit https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/egypt
