Signing of the joint agreement between the Government of Japan and WHO Egypt
Cairo, Egypt, 9 March 2026 – The WHO country office in Egypt has signed a new agreement with the Embassy of Japan to support the provision of emergency health care services to ill and injured Palestinian patients evacuated from the Gaza Strip to receive treatment in Egypt.
Valued at more than million, this new agreement follows a US$ 8.3 million agreement signed in March 2024, bringing the total amount of Japan’s support to WHO Egypt in response to the Gaza crisis to more than US$ 11.38 million over the past three years.
The agreement was signed at a high-level event attended by H.E. Dr Khaled Abdelghaffar, Minister of Health and Population, H.E. Mr Fumio Iwai, Japanese Ambassador to Egypt, Dr Samar Al-Ahdal, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Expatriates, Ms Elena Panova, UN Resident Coordinator in Egypt, and Dr Nima Abid, WHO Representative to Egypt.
The project will continue until 2028 and will increase Gazan patients’ access to health care by supporting the hospitals receiving the patients, with a focus on ensuring the availability of essential medical supplies and equipment and building the capacity of health care workers to provide lifesaving, emergency-focused care.
The scope of the project will also extend to Palestinians residing in Egypt, estimated at 100 000 individuals, as well as refugees and asylum seekers, including those from Sudan and Libya, in addition to host communities.
“This new signing comes at a timely moment, considering the recent reopening of the Rafah crossing and the expected daily evacuation of patients from Gaza. Over the past two years, Japan’s generous funding has enabled us to provide critical support to the hospitals receiving patients from Gaza. We are grateful for the remarkable solidarity from Egypt in welcoming patients from Gaza and remain committed to working with the Ministry of Health and Population, national health stakeholders and international partners to ensure patients have access to the lifesaving care they urgently need,” said Dr Nima Abid.
Under the project signed in 2024, supported by the Government of Japan, WHO Egypt was able to procure almost US$ 7 million worth of medical equipment and supplies, including intensive care unit beds, operating tables, mobile X-ray machines, autoclaves and mechanical heart valves, among others. Additionally, almost 2000 health care workers across Egypt were trained in providing emergency-focused care, covering a wide range of critical areas, including mass casualty management, basic and advanced emergency care, trauma management, treatment of severely malnourished children, infection prevention and control, preparedness for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear incidents, risk communication and community engagement, and mental health and psychosocial support.
“Japan remains deeply committed to providing crucial medical treatment for Palestinian evacuees from Gaza, and we are proud to extend our partnership with WHO and the Government of Egypt through this additional contribution of more than US$ 3 million. By ensuring that hospitals have the sophisticated equipment and trained personnel necessary to treat those evacuated from Gaza, we aim to provide not just medical relief but hope for recovery. We express our profound respect for Egypt’s tireless humanitarian leadership in hosting such a significant number of patients, and Japan will continue to stand in solidarity with our international partners to ensure that no patient is left without the lifesaving care they deserve,” said Ambassador Iwai.
To date, Egypt has received more than 6600 medical evacuees from the Gaza Strip, along with more than 9300 companions, making it the country that has received the largest number of Palestinian evacuees since the onset of the war in October 2023. WHO estimates that more than 18 500 patients in the Gaza Strip still require medical evacuation.
