Supervisor Elham AbolFateh
Editor in Chief Mohamed Wadie

UNHCR, Sisi Discuss Refugees Situation in Egypt


Mon 14 Jan 2019 | 03:04 PM
Nawal Sayed

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Mr. Filippo Grandi, met with the President of Egypt Abdel Fattah El Sisi, the Secretary General of the League of Arab States, and ambassadors of donor and resettlement countries on Monday, wrapping up his first day of an official visit.

Grandi’s visit to Egypt is his first official visit for 2019 and his second official visit to the country since he assumed his position as UNHCR High Commissioner in 2016.

He began his official two-day visit to Egypt on Sunday to discuss the refugee situation in the country and touch on a number of regional and global issues in light of Egypt’s role as Egypt assumes the chairmanship of the African Union in 2019, according to a press release.

The statement stressed that Egypt has been a lead example in the region in hosting refugees in an urban setting and providing services in the health and education sectors on equal footing as Egyptians.

As of 31 November 2018, Egypt hosts more than 242,000 registered refugees and asylum-seekers of 58 different countries including: Syria (55%), Sudan (16.9%), Ethiopia (6.51%), Eritrea (6.27%), and South Sudan (5.88%).