CAIRO: Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and the UN’s coordinator for the Gaza Strip Sigrid Kaag on Tuesday discussed various sides of the humanitarian crisis in the besieged Palestinian territory, the volume and quality of aid entering it and the priorities regarding the type of aid. They emphasized the urgent need for unhindered aid delivery and protection of relief personnel.
The meeting, held at the headquarters of Egypt’s Foreign Ministry in Cairo, focused on reviewing the current humanitarian situation in Gaza and strategizing efforts to expedite the launch of UN mechanisms to facilitate aid distribution.
Shoukry and Kaag underscored the necessity of increasing the volume and quality of aid to meet the needs of the Palestinian people, while also ensuring the safety of international relief workers operating in Gaza. Shoukry reiterated the legal and humanitarian obligations of international parties to uphold the provisions of Security Council Resolution 2720 and other relevant UN resolutions pertaining to the Gaza situation.
The Foreign Minister emphasized the importance of swiftly addressing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza by advocating for an immediate and lasting ceasefire, as well as removing obstacles imposed by Israel to aid access and opening all land crossings to facilitate aid flow.
Kaag expressed her commitment to ongoing coordination and collaboration with Egypt in fulfilling her duties as the UN coordinator for Gaza. She acknowledged Egypt’s pivotal role in mitigating the humanitarian consequences of the crisis and highlighted the cooperation between the Egyptian Red Crescent, Egyptian civil society organizations, and UN relief agencies in delivering aid to Gaza.
