The President of Egypt, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has met with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, in the presence of Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sameh Shoukry.
The Spokesman for the Presidency, Counselor Ahmed Fahmy, said the President expressed that he valued Egypt’s decades-long cooperation with UNHCR and the efforts it exerts at the international level, in light of the mounting global refugee crisis. President El-Sisi also stressed the importance of addressing the issue of refugees and all forms of displacement through a comprehensive approach that targets the root causes of crises related to conflict resolution challenges, as well as realizing security and political stability and comprehensive sustainable development.
Mr. Grandi confirmed the UNHCR’s interest to strengthen cooperation with Egypt, noting its key role at the regional and international levels. He expressed the UNHCR’s appreciation for Egypt’s efforts to host large numbers of refugees from different nationalities and referred to his visit to the crossings on the Egyptian-Sudanese border, during which he saw the tremendous effort of the relevant Egyptian authorities, in cooperation with the UN organizations and the Egyptian Red Crescent, to assist the Sudanese people and different nationalities, stressing that the international community and donors must help refugee-hosting countries that are affected by human displacement situations.
The meeting also touched on ways to enhance cooperation between Egypt and the UNHCR, in light of the considerable burden borne by Egypt, as a destination for refugees from many countries, who live side by side with the Egyptian people as guests. The meeting reviewed developments pertinent to displacement cases from Sudan in light of the ongoing crisis. The United Nations High Commissioner appreciated Egypt’s intensive efforts to help resolve the crisis and restore security and stability in Sudan.
