30 June 2025, Cairo, Egypt – Today marked the official launch of a joint project to support Sudanese patients with renal failure residing in Egypt. The project is a collaboration between the World Health Organization (WHO) Country Office in Egypt and the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief), under the auspices of the Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population.
Originally signed in March 2025, the project is valued at US$ 3.618 million and will provide up to 1000 displaced Sudanese patients with renal failure with access to lifesaving health services in Egypt, including dialysis sessions and essential medications.
The launch event was attended by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health and Population H.E. Dr Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, WHO Representative in Egypt Dr Nima Abid, Director of Programme Management at the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean Dr Adham Ismail, Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the League of Arab States H.E. Ambassador Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Matar, Director of the Medical and Environmental Aid Department at KSrelief Dr Abdullah bin Saleh Al-Moallem and the Ambassador of Sudan to Egypt and Sudan’s Permanent Representative to the League of Arab States H.E. Lieutenant General Engineer Imad Al-Din Mustafa Adawi.
The project targets Egyptian cities with the largest populations of Sudanese refugees, including Cairo, Giza, Alexandria, Luxor and Aswan.
Egypt has received over 1.5 million Sudanese since the outbreak of conflict in Sudan in April 2023, making it the top host country for Sudanese fleeing the war.
“For many years, Egypt has remained committed to its role in supporting its Arab and African brothers and sisters. Today, we host around 10 million migrants and refugees, nearly half of whom are Sudanese. The Egyptian state is dedicated to ensuring they lead dignified lives, not just through shelter, but by granting access to health care and the same rights as Egyptian citizens,” said Dr Abdel Ghaffar.
He emphasized the depth of Egyptian-Sudanese ties, reiterated Egypt’s commitment to Sudanese refugees and commended KSrelief’s humanitarian efforts in addressing the needs of patients who require regular dialysis and continuous medical care.
“The WHO Constitution affirms that the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being, regardless of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition. This right becomes even more vital for the most vulnerable groups, including refugees and migrants. Achieving this goal requires coordinated efforts among countries, organizations and donors, and this project is a remarkable example of such collaboration,” said WHO representative in Egypt Dr Abid.
He added: “Today, Sudanese refugees represent over 73% of the total refugee population in Egypt. The Egyptian health care system provides them with services on par with citizens, which places significant pressure on national health resources. We are deeply grateful for the generous support from the King Salman Centre which will enable WHO to continue working closely with the Ministry of Health to alleviate the suffering of crisis-affected communities.”
Dr Al-Moallem noted that the project aims to provide over 90 000 dialysis sessions and approximately 3200 prescriptions for transplant patients throughout the year and is just one of many humanitarian projects launched by KSrelief in response to the ongoing crisis in Sudan.