UNESCO has released a statement "firmly condemning" damage to Egypt's Museum of Islamic Arts following a blast from a car bomb at the nearby central headquarters for Cairo's police department on Friday.
In a press release published on its official website, Irina Bokova, UNESCO's Director-General, expressed her grave concern over the destruction the blast has "caused to the world-renowned [museum]" and its "thousands of invaluable artefacts."
She added that the attack "raises the danger of irreversible damage to the history and identity of the Egyptian people."
Bokova also pledged to mobilise UNESCO resources to help rebuild the museum.
"This is as essential for the people of Egypt as it is for women and men across the world," she declared. "This heritage is part of the universal story of humanity, shared by all, and we must do everything to safeguard it."
Bokova further applauded Egypt's Ministry of State for Antiquities for responding to the museum's location so quickly and taking all the necessary steps to rescue damaged artefacts.
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