Capitals: Europe and the Arabs
United Nations spokesman Stephane Dujarric said that Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will arrive in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, tomorrow, Thursday, to engage in dialogue with the Egyptian leadership, including President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and others.
This came during the press conference of the United Nations spokesman in New York yesterday, Tuesday, where Dujarric said that the Secretary-General will participate in the international conference hosted by President Sisi on Saturday.
The spokesman said that his office will share with journalists more details regarding the Secretary-General’s movements and meetings in Cairo in due course. According to what was stated in the United Nations daily news bulletin, a copy of which we received on Wednesday morning
Martin Griffiths, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, announced yesterday that he would go to the Middle East to try to help in the ongoing talks on ensuring humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip.
He said that his visit to the region would also be to express his solidarity and appreciation for the extraordinary courage of thousands of relief workers who continue their work in light of the difficult circumstances in Gaza and the West Bank.
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the Commission, said from Brussels on Tuesday that she spoke last Saturday with Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations. I informed him that the Commission is tripling humanitarian aid to the Palestinians this year. “We are also establishing an air bridge to Egypt, close to Gaza, so that we can quickly deliver aid across the border. We are in contact with the Egyptian authorities to enable our aid to enter Gaza from Egypt. UNHCR staff are in Egypt preparing to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. We are making clear to the Israeli authorities that providing water to Gaza is essential, and that this is a basic human right.
Regarding the broader issue of financial support and development aid to Palestine: I am not aware of any EU funding going to any terrorist organisation. And it must stay that way. That is why we are conducting an internal review and will coordinate with Member States conducting their own reviews.
Regarding the broader regional context: I have recently spoken with several Arab leaders. Everyone was very clear about the importance of EU funding and that these events have the potential to drag the entire region into conflict. This would call into question the positive impact of funding our entire neighborhood. For example: About 10% of the Palestinian Authority's total funding budget comes from the European Union. Egypt already hosts large numbers of refugees. We must work and support Egypt in this current crisis and establish a comprehensive partnership