7 November 2019 – To celebrate United Nations Day, held annually on 24 October, UN agencies in Egypt, including WHO, partnered with the VeryNile initiative to clean the Nile river of plastic and raise awareness of the dangers of plastic pollution. The activity also highlighted the importance of the Nile for the populations of 11 African countries who are dependent on the resources provided by the river and its ecosystems. The Nile is the lifeline of Egypt due to its vital importance for the country’s water and food security. The event was attended by UN staff and family members, youth volunteers, refugees, migrants, Egyptians and non-Egyptians.

Since the UN walks the talk, the UN Resident Coordinator in Egypt, Mr Richard Dictus, committed UN offices in Egypt to not using single-use plastic products. Dr John Jabbour, WHO Representative in Egypt, said that the activity demonstrated that the UN in Egypt was moving further towards a “One UN” approach. WHO participated in the event and committed itself to protecting the environment and promoting a plastic-free workplace, avoiding the unnecessary plastic usage that can end up as mismanaged waste.