History of Country

Egypt is perhaps best known for its pyramids, ancient history and the Nile - the longest river in the world. However, growing unemployment and slow economic growth has created large-scale poverty in many regions.

Poverty

More than 1.2 million Egyptians live below the poverty line and around 44 percent of the population survive on less than $2 a day. Although poverty is higher in rural areas, urban poverty has also risen as many people migrate to cities to find work.

Currently, 67 percent of Egypt’s poor live in Upper Egypt in the south and the contrast between north and south gets starker every day. The average income in Upper Egypt is around US$2,600 a year, compared to more than US$19,200 in Cairo.

Widows, the chronically ill and disabled people are among the poorest members of Egyptian society as they often cannot earn an income.

Disability

More than 1.5 million Egyptians are living with physical and mental disabilities. Many find it hard to gain the emotional, medical and financial support that they need. It is estimated that only 2 percent of the disabled in Egypt access any services at all.

Although some progress has been made to encourage integration, many disabled children are still stigmatised and excluded from society. By helping children cope with their disability early on IR can have a huge impact on their lives.

Islamic Relief's History in Egypt
The poverty gap between north and south Egypt is getting starker every day	IR Egypt has been working on projects to help disabled people, particularly children, since 2001. Projects include an early intervention centre and a rehabilitation centre. Seasonal Ramadan and Qurbani food distributions are carried out in Cairo, Qena, Sohag, Assiut, Beni Swaef and Al Fayoum. There are plans to expand IR’s projects in Egypt to cover more sectors and geographical areas.