The Egyptian Red Crescent (ERC) will prepare and distribute one million hot iftar meals inside the Gaza Strip during Ramadan through its Ramadan Humanitarian Kitchen in Sheikh Zuweid, North Sinai, as part of its “Hilal El-Kheir 2026” campaign, the Ministry of Social Solidarity said.
The initiative underscores Egypt’s continued humanitarian engagement with Palestinians amid the ongoing war in Gaza, with Ramadan operations expanding food assistance both inside the territory and at border transit points in North Sinai.
Minister of Social Solidarity and Vice President of the ERC Maya Morsy received a report detailing the kitchen’s operations in Sheikh Zuweid, which will operate under the banner of the “Zad Al-Izza Ramadan Kitchen.”
The ministry said the programme aims to deliver one million freshly prepared iftar meals to families in Gaza throughout the holy month, describing it as a “practical message of solidarity” reflecting longstanding ties between the Egyptian and Palestinian peoples.
The ERC will also provide daily iftar meals in Rafah and Sheikh Zuweid to wounded and injured Palestinians arriving in Egypt for treatment, as well as to those returning to Gaza after completing medical treatment via the Rafah land crossing.
Residents of North Sinai will also benefit from the Ramadan feeding services.
ERC teams continue to operate on the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing, facilitating the arrival and departure of batches of wounded and sick Palestinians and assisting them with crossing procedures.
In addition to food aid, the organization is providing a wide range of humanitarian services, including psychological support for children, family reunification services, the distribution of hot meals, winter clothing and personal care items, and “return bags” for those returning to Gaza.
The ERC has maintained a continuous presence at the border since the start of the crisis.
The Rafah crossing has not been fully closed from the Egyptian side, and the organization remains on high alert at its logistics centres, continuing to support the entry of humanitarian aid that has exceeded 800,000 tons, with the help of more than 65,000 volunteers nationwide.
Egypt’s Ramadan meal initiative comes amid what officials describe as the largest and most sustained humanitarian operation for Gaza in modern history, now extending for more than 760 consecutive days since 7 October 2023.
The operation has been coordinated nationally by the ERC and conducted in cooperation with 59 countries, 943 humanitarian relief flights, and 617 maritime aid shipments.
Cumulative entries recorded since 7 October 2023 include 24,895 trucks carrying around 405,000 tons of aid, among them 919 fuel trucks transporting more than 290,000 tons of fuel to keep hospitals and essential facilities operational inside Gaza.
Egypt has also facilitated the entry of 214 ambulances, coordinated the deployment of four field hospitals, and supplied approximately 91,000 tons of fuel.
On the medical side, Egyptian hospitals have treated thousands of wounded Palestinians evacuated through Rafah. At the same time, ERC teams have delivered over 260,000 medical services, 171,000 relief services, more than 86,000 family-link restoration services, and cash assistance to 2,800 families.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, between November 2023 and July 2025, Egypt allocated 209 ambulances to transport wounded and sick Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to Egyptian hospitals.
During that period, 18,560 injured Palestinians and accompanying relatives received treatment in 172 hospitals nationwide.
Egyptian medical teams have conducted 90,850 medical examinations and surgical procedures for Palestinian patients since the beginning of the war, covering both emergency trauma interventions and follow-up specialized care.
El-Sisi, UAE President discuss bilateral ties, Gaza situation in Abu Dhabi
