Here are 10 quick facts about refugees in Egypt:

1. In 2015, over 180,000 individuals were registered as refugees in Egypt with the United Nations Refugee Agency, over 117,000 of which were from Syria.
2. In 2015, the United Nations Refugee Agency had a total budget of over $80 million dedicated to helping refugees meet their basic needs, receive health care and gain access to education.
3. The large majority of refugees in Egypt reside in urban areas. About 60 percent live in the greater Cairo area.
4. Only 18.1 percent of refugees have access to basic hygienic and domestic household items. Only 27 percent of refugee women have sanitary supplies.
5. About 20 percent of refugees don’t receive primary health care services and 40 percent don’t receive secondary and tertiary health care services.
6. Approximately 40 percent of refugee children have access to national child protection services and in 2015 there were 149 cases of child abuse.
7. Between 75 and 80 percent of children are enrolled in either primary or secondary school.
8. Only 31 percent of working age refugees receive at least minimum wage for more than six months out of the year.
9. Around 85 percent of refugees are either severely or highly vulnerable socioeconomically.
10. In 2015, over 3,000 refugees were arrested attempting to illegally cross into Europe by sea.

Egypt is not a final destination for many of these refugees, instead it’s a transit stop to other places such as Europe.

The challenging economic conditions in the country and increasingly anti-refugee policies of the government are pushing more and more refugees toward potentially dangerous and illegal smuggling trips into Europe. Improving the conditions of these refugees in Egypt is of paramount importance.

– James Long

Photo: Flickr