The World Health Organization (WHO) and Japan have signed a USD 8 million (EGP 391 million) grant agreement to provide essential support for critically ill patients evacuated from the Gaza Strip to Egypt for medical treatment.
The agreement, witnessed by prominent officials such as Rania Al-Mashat, Egypt’s Minister of International Cooperation, and Hanan Balkhy, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, aims to strengthen Egypt’s health care system and enhance the readiness of hospitals to effectively accommodate medical evacuees.
Under the agreement, WHO will collaborate with the Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population to ensure adequate medical supplies, equipment, and medicines are available in hospitals.
Capacity-building initiatives will also be implemented to equip healthcare professionals with life-saving emergency care skills.
The project will focus on designated facilities across multiple governorates in Egypt. This includes health facilities in North Sinai Governorate, Ismailia, Port Said, Suez, Damietta, Greater Cairo, and Sharqiya governorates.
The aim is to create a comprehensive network of healthcare support for patients from the Gaza Strip.
The grant agreement will enable WHO to address the urgent medical needs of injured and severely ill patients, providing surgical care, medical treatment for communicable and non-communicable diseases, psychological trauma support, and other critical interventions.
Japan’s significant contribution highlights its commitment to the region, with nearly USD 160 million (EGP 7 billion) in contributions to the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region since 2016.
Since November 2023, Egypt has been offering free-of-charge medical treatment to severely ill and injured patients from the Gaza Strip. Egypt has provided medical care to over 2,200 Palestinians due to the destruction of numerous hospitals and medical facilities by Israel in the Gaza Strip.
Egyptian doctors have successfully conducted close to 1,200 surgeries on Palestinian patients.
The WHO estimates that over 8,000 people in the Gaza Strip require medical evacuation, including 6,000 with war-related injuries and 2,000 with other medical conditions.
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