UNHCR Egypt Representative Ms. Elizabeth Tan met with 350 teachers from all governorates in Egypt who have benefitted from the Active Learning Training programme, which was successfully implemented from the 31st of October to the 5th of November 2016. The event, held in the Student’s Union building, was organized by UNHCR in collaboration with the Ministry of Education. Ms. Tan thanked the Government of Egypt and the Ministry of Education for their generosity in hosting refugees, as well as giving their children access to public schools. The Representative also thanked the teachers, and acknowledged the efforts and patience they show the refugee children that may face difficulties in adapting in a new environment. Ms. Tan said that UNHCR is committed to support the Ministry of Education in delivering high quality education and ensuring that schools are a safe learning environment for both refugee and Egyptian children.

NilFurat Project aspires to create a common space for learning and intercultural dialogue between women from the local host community and refugee communities in Egypt. Building on the richness of cultural diversity, 70 Egyptian, African, and Syrian women, in Cairo, have been able to acquire training and exchange knowledge through art and production.

UNHCR Egypt extended its reception hours last week and received 3,876 individuals (1,709 families), approaching the office to renew their documents, update their information and add new family members to their records. Continuous verification contributes to a better understanding of the profile and needs of people registered with UNHCR. This exercise has also considerably reduced the waiting period to obtain a renewal appointment in our offices, which decreased from 3 months to 1 month. Additionally, 86 Syrian families also had the opportunity to complete their vulnerability assessment interviews.

UNHCR and the Ministry of Education held the opening ceremony of their joint teacher training programme for 2016. The training focused on developing the required skills for Arabic Language teachers who are working with primary students. The event was attended by Ms. Marian Schilperoord UNHCR Senior Operations Manager who gave a speech about the importance that UNHCR gives to the education of refugees. Ms. Schilperoord thanked the Ministry of Education for its generosity in admitting Syrian and Sudanese refugees in public schools at same footing as Egyptians. While Ms. Mai Mahmoud, UNHCR Associate Protection Officer presented UNHCR’s mandate to help the teachers understand better the circumstances of the refugee student they meet every day in their classroom.

On April 2, 2017 the launch of the Egypt 3RP took place at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the presence of ambassadors, UN & government officials.

The “Heya” Campaign was launched on March 19, 2017 at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina by UNHCR Alexandria Field Office in collaboration with the General Collections and Services Department at the Depository Library Section. The event opened with speeches by the organizers and partners of the Heya Campaign. Aseer Al Madaien, Head of UNHCR Alexandria Office spoke about this year's UN theme “Women in a Changing World of Work: Planet 50-50 by 2030” and UNHCR’s theme for 2017 "UNHCR supports women's right to decent work." "Women’s rights are human rights," Al Madaien said. "UNHCR believes that empowerment of women and girls economically and socially is the only means by which to protect their rights and guarantees that they achieve their potential.

UNHCR Egypt hosted the Refugee and Egyptian Women’s Business Fair at the Greek Campus on March 18, 2017. There was a huge selection of art, jewelry, clothes and accessories combined with various delicious types of cuisines from Ethiopia, Syria and Sudan offered by over 85 participants. The event was held to mark International and National Women’s Day, and furthermore to recognize and celebrate women’s socio-economic empowerment and their relentless and important contribution to the economic development of Egypt.

On the February 27, 2017 UNHCR Egypt participated at the International Cultural Festival at the 6th October University. This year, the festival focused on the global refugee crisis.

On February 15, 2017, during the United Nations Secretary-General (UN SG) António Guterres’ visit to Cairo, the UN SG reiterated his commitment to fighting terrorism but underlined also the importance of political solutions to the crisis in Syria and the wider region. He demonstrated his support for the intra-Syrian negotiations expected to begin later this month in Geneva.

On 5 February, 2017, UNHCR Egypt in coordination with the Government of Egypt, inaugurated a new “Schoolyard for All-Houshygama’ana” project implemented in 25 Yanaier School, Borg Al Arab City, Alexandria. The school hosts 264 Syrian refugee children at nursery, primary, middle and high school education levels. The intervention in the school included building a basketball court and a play area for children in the nursery school, creating shady areas and benches that are safe and child-friendly for children to be able to socialize and integrate, in addition to improving plumbing and electricity maintenance.