Author
There is no UNHCR or partner organization presence at Egypt’s borders. The only case where a humanitarian organization was allowed near the border was at the onset of the conflict in Sudan in 2023, when the Egyptian Red Crescent was present at the southern border.[1] That presence was later withdrawn, with services moved to Aswan and Abu Simbel, far from the border. As a result, access to UNHCR and its partners at border areas is effectively impossible.
Access to or communication with UNHCR and its partner organizations inside detention centers is also extremely difficult, as UNHCR is not permitted to enter or visit detention facilities holding refugees or asylum seekers. In rare cases, access is made possible when relatives or acquaintances of detainees intervene and submit multiple requests to UNHCR for visitation.
For refugees or asylum seekers located outside border areas, it is somewhat easier to contact UNHCR through its offices across the country, which provide services to individuals already registered as refugees. Some services are also available through partner organizations operating in different governorates. UNHCR also issues regular service guides detailing available support, either through the agency or its implementing partners.[2]
Gender-based violence emergency hotline
UNHCR partner organizations operate emergency and standard hotlines to report incidents and provide support to survivors of gender-based violence and individuals at risk. These hotlines offer information on reporting procedures, available services, and specialized consultations. UNHCR works closely with other partners to ensure a safe environment for those seeking support.
Emergency services for gender-based violence survivors offered by UNHCR partners
CARE Egypt provides support to survivors of gender-based violence and remains accessible through the following hotlines:
- Cairo helplines: 01028859777 / 01028859666 / 01120486354
- Alexandria helplines: 01276429307 / 01146077273 / 01144470800
- Working hours: Sunday to Thursday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
- After-hours emergency line: 01157016486 (operational outside business hours, weekends, and official holidays)
- Maadi address: Villa 26, Street 262, Algeria Square, Maadi
CARE also manages two women-friendly spaces offering a variety of services such as sexual and reproductive health education, legal awareness sessions, psychosocial support groups, self-defense workshops, gender-based training for children, and child marriage and FGM prevention sessions.[3] These spaces aim to empower women and girls by improving access to information and providing diverse programming.
- 6th of October: Building 22, First District
- Faisal: 11 El-Sahab Street, off Ahmed Kamel Street, First Faisal, First Floor
Refuge Egypt Foundation provides emergency medical care for survivors of gender-based violence who have experienced rape.[4] Contact is required before visiting the clinics.
- Zamalek Clinic (All Saints’ Cathedral): 5 Michel Lotfallah Street (behind Marriott Hotel)
- Phone: 01272040710
- Emergency: 0127204071
- Hours: Saturday, Monday to Thursday, 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM
- Nasr City Clinic: Market area, 10th District, above the supply office
- Phone: 01211970028
- Emergency: 01282112011
- Hours: Saturday, Tuesday, Wednesday, 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
- 6th of October Clinic: 48 Central Axis Street, Episcopal Church, 10th District
- Phone: 01211970037
- Emergency: 01211970037
- Hours: Sunday to Thursday, excluding Tuesday, 8:00 AM – 2:00 PM
El-Shehab Foundation:
- Cairo office: 1 Ibn El-Roumi Street, 7th District, Nasr City
- Phone: 01212682221
- Alexandria office: 485 Mohamed Naguib Street, next to Saeeda Childhood School
- Phone: 01212954447
Communication and Information Dissemination:
UNHCR regularly publishes updated informational materials in Arabic and English on its website, using posters, announcements, videos, and FAQ sheets. During the COVID-19 pandemic, awareness materials developed in cooperation with the Egyptian Ministry of Health were distributed through field offices and partners. UNHCR also used bulk SMS campaigns to deliver essential information directly to refugees.
UNHCR’s NGO partners:
UNHCR cooperates with several non-governmental organizations to deliver a wide range of services to refugees and asylum seekers in Egypt, including:
- Egyptian Foundation for Refugee Rights (EFRR): Provides legal aid to detained refugees, migrants, and victims of crimes.
- Caritas Egypt: Serves as an implementing partner of UNHCR’s refugee assistance programs since 1988, covering several governorates along the northern coast.
- Saint Andrew’s Refugee Services (StARS): Delivers educational and psychosocial support for refugees in Cairo.
Save the Children: Works to protect and support refugee children.
[1] Local media: Egypt’s Red Crescent Provides services to those affected by the Sudanese crisis’, April 2023, available here
[2] UNHCR’s Guidebook: Services provided to refugees and asylum seekers in Greater Cairo, February 2025, available here