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Cairo Seeking Binding Legal Agreement to Avoid Negative Impact of GERD

Construction work in the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (Reuters)
Construction work in the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (Reuters)
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Cairo Seeking Binding Legal Agreement to Avoid Negative Impact of GERD

Construction work in the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (Reuters)
Construction work in the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (Reuters)

Egypt has been seeking to push Ethiopia to conclude a binding legal agreement that spares it the potential negative impact of the mega dam, which Addis Ababa is constructing on the Nile River.

Cairo fears the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) would affect the flow of its annual share of the Nile’s 55.5 billion cubic meters of water especially that it relies on it for more than 90 percent of its water supplies.

In a phone conversation with his South African counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa on Saturday, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi stressed his country’s firm position on formulating a binding legal agreement that preserves Egyptian water rights and includes Sudan, Ethiopia, and Egypt.

The agreement shall define the rules for filling and operating the dam while preserving Cairo’s water rights, he noted.

The African Union has been sponsoring talks among Cairo, Addis Ababa, and Khartoum since July and attended by observers from the United States and the European Union.

For nearly a decade, talks over the operation and filling of the mega-dam have faltered.

The latest GERD meeting was held on Nov. 21 between Egypt and Ethiopia’s irrigation ministers. Sudan boycotted the talks, calling on the AU to change the negotiation’s approach and expand the role of experts.

The ministers agreed to prepare separate reports, including their countries’ visions to advance the negotiations, and send them to South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Dr. Naledi Pandor.

According to Presidential spokesman Bassam Rady, Sisi received a phone call from Ramaphosa during which both sides discussed and exchanged views on the issue.

Ramaphosa praised Egypt’s efforts to reach a solution on this vital issue and called for coordination during the coming period to work on reaching a fair and balanced agreement.

South Africa’s term ends at the end of 2020 and the Democratic Republic of the Congo will take over the AU presidency in 2021.

On Saturday, Sisi also held a phone conversation with his Congolese counterpart Felix Tshisekedi during which they discussed regional and continental issues of mutual interest.

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Yemen’s Humanitarian Lifeline on the Brink, IRC Warns

Aid agencies face increasing requests for assistance in the camps of displaced Yemenis (UN)
Aid agencies face increasing requests for assistance in the camps of displaced Yemenis (UN)
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Yemen’s Humanitarian Lifeline on the Brink, IRC Warns

Aid agencies face increasing requests for assistance in the camps of displaced Yemenis (UN)
Aid agencies face increasing requests for assistance in the camps of displaced Yemenis (UN)

As Yemen marks ten years of conflict and crisis ignited by the Houthis, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) warned that the country will face unprecedented challenges this year with expected reductions in US contributions, which accounted for more than half of total humanitarian funding to Yemen in 2024.

The Committee said the 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP) seeks $2.47 billion to reach 10.5 million people—but as of March 2025, it is just 5% funded.

In 2024, the response received just over half of what was required, forcing aid agencies to scale back essential support such as food distributions and limit access to clean water and other services.

Therefore, IRC warned that expected reductions in US contributions, which accounted for more than half of total humanitarian funding to Yemen in 2024, threaten to widen this gap even further, placing millions at greater risk of hunger, disease, and further displacement.

The Committee also cautioned that a widening chasm between rising humanitarian needs and the funding required to alleviate them, risks leaving millions of Yemenis without access to food, healthcare and protection services.

In 2025, it said, an estimated 19.5 million people will need humanitarian assistance and protection—an increase of nearly 7% compared to 2024. Across the country, more than 83% of the population now lives in poverty.

More than 4.5 million people are now internally displaced with most displaced multiple times over the past decade. IRC teams said they are witnessing rising demand in displacement sites, where families face limited access to food, healthcare and clean water.

“These figures reflect the compounding toll of a crisis that has deepened year after year, leaving families with fewer resources, fewer services and no safe alternatives,” the Committee warned.

For families who have endured years of displacement and insecurity, humanitarian aid has been critical to survival.

“I remember the first time I heard the sounds of war. I felt a fear I had never known before. We lost our home, our livelihood, and most importantly, our sense of security. Living in this camp is a daily struggle with no privacy or safety,” said Abdulnasser Abdullah, a displaced father living in Al Qataysh camp.

He added: “But the healthcare assistance we have received has made a real difference—especially since we can’t afford basic medication or even a simple meal.”

Caroline Sekyewa, IRC’s Country Director in Yemen, said that for ten years, Yemenis have endured relentless conflict, economic collapse, and limited access to lifesaving health and nutrition services.

“Humanitarian aid has been their lifeline-preventing disease outbreaks, delivering healthcare, responding to natural disasters, and helping families to survive,” she said.

For donor governments to consider reducing or removing that support is not just short-sighted, it puts millions of lives at risk, the aid director affirmed.

“Yemen now stands on a precipice and without urgent support, we risk reversing years of hard-fought gains. Ultimately, humanitarian aid on its own cannot end the suffering being felt by millions in Yemen,” she said.

Sekyewa then revealed that last year, humanitarian organizations, in spite of a huge funding shortfall, reached more than 8 million people in need across the country.

“2025 must be a turning point in this crisis. With needs steadily increasing, we call upon all donors to step up and ensure that this year’s humanitarian needs and response plan is fully funded,” she affirmed.