UK Representative for Humanitarian Affairs addresses ongoing crisis in Gaza during visit to Egypt
CAIRO– Ashraf AboArafe
Mark Bryson-Richardson, the British Foreign Secretary’s Representative for Humanitarian Affairs in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs), is currently in Egypt as part of a regional tour. His visit focuses on strengthening the UK’s humanitarian response to the ongoing crisis in Gaza and assessing challenges that may hinder the effective flow of humanitarian aid.
During his stay, Bryson-Richardson is actively engaging in key meetings with influential stakeholders and organizations. Notably, he met with Dr. Nevine Al-Kabbaj, the Minister of Social Solidarity, and officials from the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to explore potential avenues for UK support to Egypt.
Furthermore, he met with the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and UN Resident Coordinator in Egypt, Ms. Elena Panova, to discuss the best ways to coordinate efforts with the UK.
Bryson-Richardson visited the Egyptian Red Crescent’s (ERC) warehouse for humanitarian aid in Arish, with a specific focus on exploring ways the UK can continue to closely coordinate with the ERC in their ongoing humanitarian efforts. This would be his second time in Arish after visiting alongside the British Foreign Secretary David Cameron in December. Expressing gratitude for their resilience and dedication, he acknowledges the invaluable work carried out by the ERC.
His itinerary also includes a visit to the Rafah crossing to engage with representatives from The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and OCHA from Gaza to gain first-hand insight into the challenges and realities on the ground.
Emphasizing his commitment to addressing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the OPTs, Ambassador Bryson-Richardson stated: “I want to express my sincere gratitude to our Egyptian partners for their unwavering support in getting aid into Gaza. This visit reaffirms the UK’s dedication to finding practical solutions and fostering collaboration with Egypt. It is imperative that we work collectively to ensure the uninterrupted flow of humanitarian aid and make a tangible impact on the ground.”
The UK has significantly increased its aid commitment to the Palestinian people, allocating more than £90 million of humanitarian aid, thereby tripling the existing annual budget allocated to the OPTs.
And just recently, the Royal Navy made its first maritime shipment of aid into Egypt, sending 87 tonnes of aid to Port Said. This included thermal blankets, shelter packs, and medical supplies, intended for transfer to Gaza through the Rafah crossing. This is in addition to the 74 tonnes of aid previously delivered.
The UK is committed to exhausting all efforts to getting life-saving assistance to Gaza, whether through air, sea or land. However, more aid delivered by land ensures a faster and more effective transfer. Recognizing this, the UK’s Representative for Humanitarian Affairs helped to broker UK support to the United Nations World Food Programme, which supported their facilitation of a new humanitarian land corridor from Jordan into Gaza.
In recent weeks, Bryson-Richardson has been in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, Jordan, Qatar, and the UAE. There, he engaged with key actors to support political efforts aimed at alleviating the humanitarian situation in the OPTs. In Tel Aviv, he urged Israeli Authorities to collaborate with other partners, including the UN and Egypt, to increase the flow of aid into Gaza, allowing prolonged humanitarian pauses, opening more routes, and restoring and sustaining essential supplies such as water, fuel, and electricity.
