The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has suspended its medical aid for refugees in Egypt due to budget cuts, a spokesperson said on Monday.
Egypt hosts approximately 900,000 registered refugees, primarily from Sudan.
The UNHCR’s suspension affects around 20,000 patients, halting treatments for conditions such as cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart diseases.
The agency will continue to provide emergency aid in life-threatening situations.
Other humanitarian organisations, including Médecins Sans Frontières, offer free medical assistance in Egypt.
This marks the first significant reduction in medical services for refugees announced by the UNHCR since the suspension of US foreign aid.
On taking office on 20 January, Republican President Donald Trump signed an executive order to freeze US foreign aid for 90 days.
Then, in early March, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the government would cut 83% of the projects run by the US Agency for International Development, USAID.
Last week, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi warned that millions of lives worldwide are at risk due to funding cuts in the humanitarian sector.
“With less funding, fewer staff, and a smaller UNHCR presence in countries hosting refugees, the equation is simple: lives will be lost,” Grandi said.
