Press Release

UN Delegation in Al-Arish and Rafah to Follow Up on Post-Ceasefire Aid Preparations for Gaza

20 January 2025

(Al-Arish, 20 January 2025) A high-level delegation from the United Nations, including the UN Resident Coordinator in Egypt, the Head of the OCHA Regional Office for the Middle East and North Africa in Cairo, the Chief of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) Representative Office in Cairo, and representatives from the World Food Programme (WFP), has visited Al-Arish city and Rafah border crossing to follow up on the critical preparations for the delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza following the recent ceasefire agreement.

The UN remains unwavering in its commitment to supporting the people in Gaza who are in dire need of assistance. This visit is part of ongoing efforts to ensure that the aid pipeline through Egypt works in its utmost capacity.

“It is a core mandate of the United Nations to support people in need. Collaboration is underway with the Government of Egypt, the Egyptian Red Crescent and the Governor of North Sinai to support the delivery of essential humanitarian aid, with a commitment to sustained on-the-ground coordination and support,” said Elena Panova, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Egypt.

“As the humanitarian situation is at catastrophic levels inside Gaza, ceasefire is a golden opportunity to ease the tremendous suffering of this conflict through bolstering aid delivery into Gaza from all possible routes to ensure that humanitarian assistance reaches the people who need it most”. She added.

Since October 2023, the Egyptian Red Crescent Society (ERCS) has been leading the coordination of aid delivery through the Rafah border crossing and Kerem Shalom, playing a vital role in facilitating the safe and efficient transport of essential supplies. The UN in Egypt has been working closely with the ERCS, local authorities, and international partners to ramp up our readiness. We, along with our partners, are now prepared to seize this opportunity with the goal of maximizing the impact of every aid shipment.

Humanitarian supplies entering Gaza through Egypt are sourced both locally and internationally. Supplies are delivered through Egypt’s sea and airports before being transported to Al-Arish, where they undergo screening, inspections, and coordination at the ERCS logistical hub, and from there, aid is dispatched into Gaza.

For more Information, please contact:

Naiera Ellethy, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Regional Office for the Middle East and North Africa, naiera.ahmed@un.org
Nihal El Kady, United Nations Information Centre in Cairo,