Cairo, 23 May 2019 – The International Organization for Migration in Egypt (IOM) organized an iftar that brought together leaders of migrant communities in Cairo on 23 May 2019. The iftar was attended by 65 people, including 15 community leaders from Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, Guinea, Gambia, Eritrea, Yemen, and their families.

The evening included a health awareness session provided by IOM’s Migrant Health Division, followed by a session on human trafficking that focused on how communities can identify, report cases and assist victims. The evening focused on celebrating Ramadan together and the invaluable roles leaders play in their communities. The Yemeni community leaders reiterated the need to work on raising awareness among vulnerable youth on the risks of irregular migration, smuggling of migrants and human trafficking. The programme concluded with a series of trivia questions on IOM Egypt’s assistance, awareness and protection programmes, and then the iftar. Community leaders and their families were able to spend some time networking and chatting over tea and dessert, and the day ended with taking group photos.

“Communities are the first and most important response to vulnerabilities and issues faced by migrants, and IOM relies on the knowledge, support and expertise of community leaders to raise the protection and need awareness of migrants in Egypt. We are glad to share the joy of celebrating Ramadan with the migrant community leaders and members, and to remind the vital role they play in the society and also our partnership,” said IOM’s Chief of Mission to the Arab Republic of Egypt, Laurent de Boeck.

The event was held with the contributions of the European Commission and Italian Ministry of the Interior in the framework of the Regional Development and Protection Programme for North Africa (RDPP NA) and the Federal Government of Germany under the project “Consolidate Direct Assistance and Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration Services in Egypt (CARE)”. It supports the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), namely Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities, Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions and Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals. It is also in line with the objectives of Egypt’s Sustainable Development Strategy (SDS): Vision 2030, particularly its Social Justice Pillar.

For more information, please contact Omar Awwad at IOM Egypt, Tel: +2 02 2736 5140/1, Email: oawwad@iom.int