The contribution will be provided by NACDW member institutions, which amount to 24 associations, civil society organisations, and service and developmental entities, according to the statement.

The NACDW will continue its social protection Wasl El-Khair initiative to provide nutritional, medical, and social care as well as economic empowerment opportunities to around five million families in 2022.

The alliance’s decision came to ease the current global economic impasse and expand the number of beneficiaries from the social protection programmes as per President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi’s directives, the statement explained.

The NACDW was launched in March to ensure the effective engagement of civil society institutions in developing communities and meeting their legitimate needs in the service, health, education, awareness, and urban fields.

Amid the current global economic crisis, El-Sisi has urged the government to focus on the enhancement of social protection programmes in the coming period.

In a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, El-Sisi instructed the addition of one million new families to the Takaful and Karama (Solidarity and Dignity) cash support programmes, thus increasing the number of beneficiaries to more than 20 million citizens nationwide.

El-Sisi also directed the government to disburse a total of EGP 1 billion per month for the next six months as exceptional aid to nine million families.

Recipients will include the neediest families and pensioners who receive less than EGP 2,500 per month as well as state employees whose monthly salaries are less than EGP 2,700.

In addition, two million subsidised food boxes will be made available each month at half their price from the Egyptian Armed Forces’ food markets. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Endowment in cooperation with the Ministry of Social Solidarity will distribute Eid Al-Adha meat throughout the year.

Earlier in July, Minister of Finance Mohamed Maait said that EGP 356 billion of the fiscal year (FY) 2022/23 budget have been allocated for social protection and subsidisidies, while another EGP 400 billion will go towards improving the conditions of public sector employees, including wages and compensations.

Out of the EGP 356 billion allocated by Egypt’s FY 2022/23 budget for social protection and subsidies, Maait said EGP 90 billion went for subsidising food commodities and bread to ensure their availability for about 71 million citizens.

Some EGP 22 billion are allocated for Takaful and Karama (‘Solidarity and Dignity’) programmes that provide aid for four million families, Maait said.