In a joint press conference on Monday with UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini, Abdelatty affirmed Egypt's steadfast support for the UN agency.

Cairo "rejects any attempts to undermine UNRWA's credibility or replace it, as it is the sole UN agency mandated to provide support to Palestinian refugees,” he stressed, saying such attempts are bound to fail.

He warned that such action campaigns jeopardize international credibility and the integrity of the multilateral system.  

“Such accusations without documented evidence are baseless,” he emphasized.

FM Abdelatty reiterated that UNRWA's mission would not end until Palestinian refugees obtain their rights, through either return or compensation as stipulated in UN General Assembly Resolution 194.

Moreover, he urged the international community and donor nations to reconsider suspending their funding for UNRWA, which he called "unacceptable," cautioning that this could be seen as “endorsing famine or using starvation as a collective punishment."

Egypt’s top diplomat revealed that he had discussed the issue with the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell. 

On his part, Lazzarini said 16 countries have frozen their contributions to UNRWA due to the Israeli "shocking allegations," causing the agency to halt its activities. 

He added that the UNRWA faced intimidation and was targeted by lawsuits and legislative attempts to label it as a terrorist organisation. 

Lazzarini noted that the United States, the largest contributor, has suspended its contributions until March 2025 due to several legislative decisions, resulting in a significant loss of $800 million.

“Efforts are needed to compensate for this shortfall,” he said. 

However, Lazzarini reported that some European countries, Gulf nations, and other countries like Iraq, Algeria, and Djibouti have recently increased their contributions. Individual donations have also helped ensure sufficient funding until August.

Sudan's neighbouring countries
 

"Egypt has always spoken about hosting our guests – not refugees – from Sudan," Abdelatty said, clarifying Egypt's position concerning Sudanese brothers. 

He acknowledged the significant number of Sudanese people living in Egypt despite the country's economic difficulties. 

"These are challenging times ... and in my meetings with international representatives, I have consistently underscored the need for the international community to respect its pledges regarding full support for Sudan and neighbouring countries, especially Egypt," he stressed.

He also pointed to the recent donor conference in Paris, where $2.1 billion was pledged. 

"A significant portion of these funds," Abdelatty argued, "should be allocated to Sudan's neighbours, who are carrying a heavy burden in terms of humanitarian and health assistance."

In a statement on Saturday, he said Egypt has welcomed hundreds of thousands of Sudanese people since the start of the Sudan crisis, to join nearly five million Sudanese citizens who have been living in Egypt for many years.

This came during his speech at the Sudanese Political and Civil Forces Conference in Cairo's New Administrative Capital.

The conference saw the attendance of representatives from the Sudanese political and civilian forces, the United Nations, the African Union, the Arab League, the European Union, and several influential and interested countries in the Sudanese issue.