Cairo Calls for African Coordination to Finance Efforts to Address Climate Change

Finance Minister Mohamed Maait. Reuters
Finance Minister Mohamed Maait. Reuters
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Cairo Calls for African Coordination to Finance Efforts to Address Climate Change

Finance Minister Mohamed Maait. Reuters
Finance Minister Mohamed Maait. Reuters

Egypt has called for coordinating the African stance in financing efforts to address climate change in a way that contributes to enabling the continent to address the phenomenon’s environmental and economic consequences positively and flexibly.

Transport Minister Kamel al-Wazir said his ministry’s vision is not limited to transporting goods and passengers.

It aspires to participate actively in consolidating the concept of sustainable development to attain the required balance among social, economic and environmental requirements.

Wazir made his remarks during the “Climate Change Mitigation” session held on the sidelines of the Islamic Development Bank’s annual meetings in Sharm El-Sheikh.

In order to implement this vision, Wazir said a comprehensive developed policy was adopted and includes the expansion of transportation means to connect Egypt with regional and international countries while reducing carbon emissions.

Minister of Planning and Economic Development Hala al-Saeed said adapting to climate change has become Egypt’s top priority.

She said Cairo launched in 2021 a structural reforms program, which includes policies aimed at supporting the transition to a green economy and maintaining the sustainable use of natural resources.

“The state is working hard to prepare and launch the national strategy for hydrogen, the national strategy for managing water resources, and the strategy for protecting beaches.”

She further pointed to the efforts, in cooperation with the private sector, to adopt environmental sustainability standards, which aim for green projects to represent 30% of the state’s investment plan for the fiscal year 2021-22 and 50% of the fiscal year 2024-25.

Commenting on Egypt’s hosting of the COP27 Climate Summit, Saeed said Cairo targets achieving tangible progress in priority areas, such as climate financing, adaptation, loss and damage.

These objectives aim at helping Cairo address the challenge of financing adaptation to climate changes activities and ease the burden on the state’s general budget by reducing environmental pollution and mitigating its negative impacts.

Separately, Egypt’s Finance Minister Mohamed Maait held talks Saturday with his Senegalese counterpart, Amadou Hott.

Maait said Cairo is keen to reach a unified vision to protect African economies from global shocks, which intensified with the outbreak of war in Europe and the repercussions of the coronavirus pandemic that led to a wave of inflation caused by supply chain disruptions and rising shipping costs.

He underscored the importance of improving the competitive capacities of the African countries’ economies, attracting investment opportunities, removing any obstacles, and creating a unified African market for goods and services.



Israeli Officials Signal They Want UN to Remain Key Gaza Aid Channel, Says Senior UN Official

 Buildings that were destroyed during the Israeli ground and air operations stand in northern of Gaza Strip as seen from southern Israel, Thursday, July 10, 2025. (AP)
Buildings that were destroyed during the Israeli ground and air operations stand in northern of Gaza Strip as seen from southern Israel, Thursday, July 10, 2025. (AP)
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Israeli Officials Signal They Want UN to Remain Key Gaza Aid Channel, Says Senior UN Official

 Buildings that were destroyed during the Israeli ground and air operations stand in northern of Gaza Strip as seen from southern Israel, Thursday, July 10, 2025. (AP)
Buildings that were destroyed during the Israeli ground and air operations stand in northern of Gaza Strip as seen from southern Israel, Thursday, July 10, 2025. (AP)

Israeli officials have signaled they want the United Nations to remain the key avenue for humanitarian deliveries in Gaza, the deputy head of the World Food Program said on Friday, noting the work of a controversial US aid group was not discussed.

"They wanted the UN to continue to be the main track for delivery, especially should there be a cease fire, and they asked us to be ready to scale up," Carl Skau, deputy executive director of the UN food agency, told reporters on Friday after visiting Gaza and Israel last week.

The US, Egypt and Qatar are trying to broker a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza.

Hamas said on Wednesday that the flow of aid was one of the sticking points.

Israel and the United States have publicly urged the UN to work through the new Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, but the UN has refused, questioning the group's neutrality and accusing the distribution model of militarizing aid and forcing displacement.

Skau said he met with Israeli authorities at different levels last week and that the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation "did not come up in those conversations."

"I think there were rumors of the UN being pushed out, but it was very clear in my engagement that they want the UN to continue to be the main track in delivery," Skau said.

DEATHS

Since Israel lifted an 11-week aid blockade on Gaza on May 19, allowing limited UN deliveries to resume.

The GHF launched its operation, using private US security and logistics firms to transport aid to distribution hubs, a week later.

The United Nations human rights office said on Friday that it had recorded 615 deaths near GHF sites and 183 deaths "presumably on the route of aid convoys" operated by the UN and other relief groups.

The GHF has repeatedly said there have been no deaths at any of its aid distribution sites. The group said on Friday that it has so far delivered more than 70 million meals in Gaza.

The US State Department has approved $30 million in funding for the GHF, which touts its model as "reinventing aid delivery in war zones."

Israel and the United States have accused Hamas of stealing aid from the UN-led operations, which the group denies.

Throughout the conflict, the United Nations has described its humanitarian operation in Gaza as opportunistic - facing problems with Israel's military operation, access restrictions by Israel into and throughout Gaza, and looting by armed gangs.

But the UN has said its aid distribution system works, and that was particularly proven during a two-month ceasefire, which Israel abandoned in mid-March.

The UN said it got 600-700 trucks of aid a day into Gaza during the truce and has stressed then when people know there is a steady flow of aid, the looting subsides.