CAIRO, March 11 (MENA) - Minister of Social Solidarity Maya Morsi said that the Egyptian Red Crescent (ERC) acts as the national mechanism for coordinating humanitarian response as well as the delivery of international humanitarian assistance to support the Gaza Strip.

This came during a meeting she had with President of International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) Kate Forbes and her accompanying delegation to review the efforts of the Egyptian Red Crescent in response to the situation in Gaza since the outbreak of the crisis in October 2023.

Forbes praised the efforts made by the ERC amid the crisis, particularly as the situation in the war-ravaged Gaza Strip continues to worsen.

She said that the combined efforts of the Egyptian Red Crescent and the IFRC have helped mobilize efforts to support Gaza and provide humanitarian assistance, emphasizing the importance of continuing to support the Egyptian Red Crescent in carrying out its humanitarian role, both locally within Egypt in support of the Egyptian authorities and regionally towards neighboring countries. She also highlighted the significance of supporting volunteer efforts and volunteering itself, pointing out that she has been working in the field of volunteering for 44 years in the United States. She noted that the IFRC collaborates with 191 Red Cross and Red Crescent societies around the world, which means that its efforts encompass 16 million volunteers worldwide.

The social solidarity minister pointed out that the Egyptian Red Crescent has 35,000 volunteers, most of whom are young people.

She said that Gaza, Sudan, and other parts of the Arab region are facing significant humanitarian challenges, noting that the largest portion of the humanitarian aid provided to Gaza is Egyptian, with Egyptian civil society mobilizing vast amounts of aid from all Egyptian governorates.

She added that the Egyptian government is working to mobilize aid for Gaza and emphasized that donors should also send their share of assistance, especially given the growing suffering of children and women in the enclave.

The talks also touched on the Palestinian casualties and their companions who are being received by Egypt since the outbreak of the crisis, most of whom are children in need of medical, psychological, and humanitarian support.

The two sides stressed keenness on maintaining cooperation and coordination between the Egyptian Red Crescent and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in response to the humanitarian crises in the region.(MENA)

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