Colombia’s Petro visits Egyptian Red Crescent, lauds Gaza relief work
Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Saturday visited the headquarters of the Egyptian Red Crescent (ERC), where he praised Egypt’s efforts in providing humanitarian aid to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Petro was received by the Minister of Social Solidarity and the ERC Vice President, Maya Morsy.
“We have been following the deteriorating conditions in the Gaza Strip,” Petro said, expressing his hope for an end to the violence. He called for the reconstruction of Gaza to be publicised through the media, stating that “humanity is what will rebuild the Gaza Strip, with the support of the Red Cross and Red Crescent societies.”
Morsy welcomed the Colombian president, saying his visit reflects the deep humanitarian relations between the two countries. “The Egyptian Red Crescent… always puts humanity first, which we also see in the inspiring experiences that Colombia offers in the field of peacebuilding and promoting social justice,” she said.
For more than 750 days, the ERC and its volunteers have played a pivotal role in coordinating humanitarian and relief aid to Gaza, which has “earned the appreciation and respect of the entire world,” Morsy added.
Amal Imam, the executive director of the ERC, said that Egypt has provided more than 650,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Gaza during that period, including food, medicine, and fuel, which were dispatched via the Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings.
She explained the mechanism of the ERC’s work in coordinating aid from around the world by air, sea, and land, starting with the establishment of an operations room in Arish connected to the central operations room in Cairo.
Imam noted that the ERC has received 941 humanitarian relief planes and 614 shipments of humanitarian aid, and has coordinated with 59 countries, including Colombia, as well as U.N. agencies.
The ERC has also facilitated the entry of 214 ambulances for health organisations operating in the strip, delivered more than 89,000 tonnes of fuel, and coordinated the entry of four field hospitals, she said.
During his visit, the Colombian president and his delegation toured the humanitarian aid packaging and preparation centre and the central operations room. He packed one of the food parcels destined for Gaza, writing a message of support on it for the Palestinians.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi met his Colombian counterpart, in Cairo on Friday to discuss bilateral relations and regional issues, including the implementation of the Gaza peace agreement.
Al-Sisi welcomed Petro on his second visit to Egypt and praised the deep historical ties between the two countries, affirming Egypt’s keenness to enhance cooperation, especially in economic and trade aspects, a presidency statement said.
The two leaders discussed prospects for cooperation in a number of vital sectors, including trade, renewable energy, aviation, and culture, in addition to exchanging expertise in combating transnational organised crime and terrorism.
For his part, the Colombian president expressed his appreciation for the growing bilateral relations and praised the significant increase in trade volume over the past five years. He also congratulated Sisi on the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum, which he described as a historic achievement.
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