UN Coordinator Calls for Global Support to Bolster Egypt’s Role in Hosting Refugees, Migrants

The United Nations Resident Coordinator in Egypt, Elena Panova, has urged the international community to assume greater collective responsibility in supporting Egypt’s efforts to safeguard the dignity and rights of refugees, migrants, and host communities.

In remarks delivered at a meeting of the Joint Platform on Refugees and Migrants in Cairo, Panova praised Egypt’s “noble responsibility” in hosting unprecedented numbers of displaced people from across the region. She said the country’s generosity represents not only a lifeline within its borders but also “a vital contribution to regional stability” at a time when conflict, climate change, and widening inequalities are driving historic levels of displacement worldwide.

“Caring for and protecting people on the move cannot fall on Egypt alone,” Panova said, stressing the need for a coordinated global response. She called for stronger support to local NGOs and community-based partners with the expertise to deliver effective assistance.

Panova underscored that challenges facing migrants, refugees, and host communities require sustained, multi-sectoral action rather than short-term projects. “Only by combining the expertise and resources of government, international partners, civil society, academia, and the private sector can Egypt achieve lasting change that strengthens national systems, empowers host communities, and preserves the dignity of refugees and migrants,” she said.

She explained that the Joint Platform embodies this approach by uniting government representatives, the UN, civil society, and international partners. Its mission is to help migrants and refugees unlock their potential as contributors to sustainable development and social cohesion.

Panova highlighted that many still face major barriers to education, healthcare, livelihoods, and social protection, with host communities under mounting strain. Women and children account for 73.5% of registered refugees in Egypt. “These are not statistics but human stories: mothers seeking safe shelter, children needing classrooms, families striving for dignity,” she said.

She pointed to the UN’s first joint program for refugees and migrants in Egypt — backed by the European Union — as a proven model of progress. The initiative has expanded access to schools and clinics for both refugees and local communities, strengthened protection systems, and provided livelihood opportunities for the most vulnerable.

“What began as a pilot project has become a tested model,” Panova noted. “Thousands of children are learning together in classrooms, health services are reaching both migrants and host communities, and protection and livelihood opportunities are extending to those most at risk. This is the pathway to resilience and stability for Egypt and the wider region.”