Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi affirmed full support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) to continue providing aid to Palestinian refugees.
Sisi said it is the only agency carrying out this humanitarian task – especially in the fields of education and health relief.
This came during his meeting with the UN Under-Secretary-General and UNRWA Commissioner-General, Philippe Lazzarini on Saturday.
Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and Director of the Egyptian General Intelligence Directorate Abbas Kamel also attended the meeting.
Egyptian Presidential spokesman Bassam Rady said Sisi underscored the importance of providing the necessary support to UNRWA in light of the current financial challenges and negative impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.
Egypt is ready to support the implementation of some of UNRWA’s projects in a way that contributes to alleviating the suffering of Palestinian citizens, Rady quoted the President as saying.
He referred to the initiative to reconstruct Gaza, which has entered its second operational phase.
Lazzarini, for his part, reviewed the agency’s role and current challenges in light of the escalating tension at the global and regional levels.
He affirmed UNRWA reliance on Egypt’s historical role in mobilizing the international community’s support for the agency to continue supporting Palestinian refugees.
He further hailed Egypt’s keenness to improve conditions in the Palestinian territories, especially in the Gaza Strip.
