The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the government of Japan have said they will expand an existing partnership supporting Egypt’s crisis management in order to address the socio-economic impact of COVID-19 in the country with funding of around $2.73 million.

In a meeting held on Tuesday, the two sides discussed the future steps for a development project titled “Supporting an Inclusive and Multi-Sectoral Response to COVID-19 and Addressing its Socio-Economic Impact in Egypt,” which will focus on supporting national and sub-national capacities for planning, coordination and crisis management, in addition to addressing the socio-economic impact of COVID-19 particularly on micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) and vulnerable groups.

The project is expected to benefit 3.7 million MSMEs, especially in the retail and handcraft sectors, via support for digitalisation and improved market access through e-commerce, according to UNDP.

The meeting was attended by Japanese Ambassador Masaki Noke, Egypt’s deputy planning and economic development minister Ahmed Kamaly, and UNDP officials.

“Thanks to the generosity of Japan, we are delighted to work closely with the Embassy of Japan to support Egypt’s efforts to respond and recover from COVID-19. Millions of people and vulnerable households are affected by the socio-economic shocks resulting from the COVID-19,” said UNDP Egypt Resident Representative Randa Aboul-Hosn in a statement.