Kazakhstan and UNRWA exchanged information about the situation in the Gaza Strip

Cairo - October 17, 2023, the Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Egypt Kairat Lama Sharif held a meeting with the Head of the Cairo office of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Middle East (UNRWA) Sahar al-Joburi.

The Kazakh diplomat emphasized that our country condemns the attacks by Hamas against civilians in Israel and the capture of hostages, including foreigners. We support the call of the UN Secretary-General António Guterres on immediate and unconditional release of hostages and ensure unimpeded access to humanitarian aid. In this situation, it is crucial to comply with the norms of international law, and follow the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council, which secure the legal rights of the Palestinian people. Violence leads to counter-violence and inevitably causes tragic consequences for the Middle East and the rest of the world.

Kazakhstan expresses solidarity with the international community requiring cancelling the established time frame to evacuate the residents of the Gaza Strip and ensure protection of civilians who should not become hostages of the conflict.

 At the same time, Kairat Lama Sharif informed about the situation with citizens of Kazakhstan in the Gaza Strip. The Embassies of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Egypt and Jordan maintain contact with our citizens located in the conflict zone. Current contacts for communication with compatriots are updated on an ongoing basis. Negotiations are underway with local authorities on the possible departure of our compatriots and members of their families from the Gaza Strip to Egypt through the Rafah crossing point. The embassies of 45 countries accredited in Cairo are also conducting similar negotiations.

Sahar al-Joburi noted that over half a century the Agency has become one of the largest UN programs, employing more than 26 thousand employees. The Agency (UNRWA - United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) helps strengthen the human capacity of Palestinian refugees in the Gaza Strip until a just solution to the refugee problem is found.