Attachments
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS – HIGHLIGHTS
• Egypt hosted the second ministerial meeting of the Khartoum Process (KP) in Cairo on 9 April after a three-year pause, bringing together officials from over 50 countries across Europe and the Horn of Africa to coordinate efforts against irregular migration and human trafficking. During her intervention, UNHCR Representative highlighted the need to work with the KP member states, IOM and other key partners on advancing the route-based approach through joint programs that foster effective coordination among the countries of origin, asylum, transit, and final destination enhancing protection. The meeting culminated in the adoption of the Cairo Ministerial Declaration, which focuses on shared responsibility, protection of migrants, and the promotion of legal and safe migration pathways. The Cairo Plan of Action, which outlines the strategic direction for the initiative’s future under the newly appointed French presidency, was also adopted.
• On the two-year mark of the Sudan crisis, UNHCR Egypt provided interviews to several international media outlets, including Deutsche Welle (Germany), RTS (Switzerland) The New Arab (UK), El Periodico (Spain), RTVE (Spain), and La Croix (France). UNHCR emphasized the devastating scale of displacement from Sudan – now at record levels – with Egypt currently hosting the largest number of refugees, all amid the most severe humanitarian funding crisis in decades. In parallel, UNHCR Egypt supported a fundraising campaign led by the UNHCR Foundation in Switzerland to mark this milestone. The campaign included a press release, two pieces to camera, a voice-streamed advertisement, and two radio interviews, and it specifically highlighted the consequences of funding cuts, particularly for Sudanese refugees in Egypt.
• On 8 and 9 April, UNHCR Egypt engaged in high-level meetings and field visits with key European partners on the margins of the Khartoum Process conference. On 8 April, UNHCR welcomed senior officials from Germany, Norway, and Denmark to its Reception Centre in Greater Cairo, where they received an overview of the refugee response and participated in a focus group discussion with five Sudanese asylum-seekers who shared their challenges. The following day, the UNHCR Representative to Egypt met with Marjolein Faber, the Dutch Minister of Asylum and Migration, to brief on the Dutch-funded Prospects programme – of which UNHCR is the largest recipient in Egypt – as well as the asylum transition plan, its financial needs, and the importance of broader support for the transition to State-led responsibility.
• On 15 April, UNHCR Egypt officially launched its new WhatsApp Channel, aimed at providing refugees and asylum seekers with timely, accurate, and accessible information in Arabic. This one-way communication tool complements UNHCR’s existing digital platforms, such as its Facebook pages and Help website, by delivering real-time updates, including service announcements, health advisories, and operational changes, directly to users in a secure and anonymous format. The channel supports multimedia content such as images, videos, and voice notes, making it especially useful for individuals with varying literacy levels. Given the widespread use of WhatsApp among refugee communities, the platform ensures broad reach and trust, while also enhancing cost-efficiency by reducing the need for printed materials.