UNHCR: Egypt rejects the idea of establishing refugee camps and hosting them among its citizens
Raouf Mazo, Assistant High Commissioner for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, confirmed that Egypt rejects the idea of establishing refugee camps on its territory, but rather hosts them in urban housing in cities among its citizens.
< p>Mazou indicated in his speech during the sixth dialogue under the title “Losing the Homeland” As part of the work of the World Urban Forum currently held in Cairo, UNHCR seeks in its work to provide temporary homes for refugees and focuses on internally displaced persons through a team that deals with them from a humanitarian perspective rather than a development one. He added that development parties believe that addressing the problem of displacement is not only a priority for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, but also for international institutions such as the World Bank, the private sector and other sectors, with the necessity of working to provide decent jobs for the displaced.
He added that in Latin America there is an alliance and commitment to providing support to the displaced, stressing that the UNHCR’s response seeks to reduce the level of dependence on others and provide assistance to make the lives of the displaced normal.
For her part, Anacladia Rosbach, Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, said that the numbers are alarming, as they indicate the destruction of 1.4 million homes in Ukraine, 660,000 in Gaza, and 200,000 in Lebanon, in addition to two million displaced people in Gaza, and the same thing in Sudan, which is something Very dangerous.
She stressed the need to build sustainable societies, strong infrastructure, and improve communications to create job opportunities, and stressed the need to mobilize sources of financing in cooperation with international institutions and the World Bank.
She pointed out that the United Nations Human Settlements Program helps support finding long-term solutions in cooperation with governments, local municipalities, and civil society organizations, and the current forum is an example of this, as all relevant parties have been invited to reach long-term solutions that ensure the sustainability of these solutions.
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For his part, Sami Hijjawi, Minister of Local Government of the Palestinian Authority, affirmed that the Palestinians adhere to the right of return, and the homeland for them is the individual and collective identity that the Palestinian carries wherever he goes and only feels it on his own land.< /p>
It is noteworthy that in 2023, 110 million people were forced to be displaced due to conflict and violence, with climate change exacerbating their needs, which had profound impacts, including the loss of homes, memories, community, and belonging. During the dialogue, leaders and experts shared insights on local responses to urban crises in areas such as Gaza, Syria, Iraq, and Ukraine. In order to highlight innovative approaches, local successes, and challenges in rebuilding to inform policies and promote social cohesion.
