CAIRO: United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres met Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy on Sunday to discuss regional tensions and efforts to prevent further conflict across the Middle East.
The United Nations (UN) office in Egypt said the talks focused on diplomatic dialogue, regional stability and closer cooperation between the two organisations.
Guterres arrived in Cairo on Saturday for consultations to ease tensions between the United States and Iran. His visit forms part of diplomatic efforts involving Egypt and other regional and international partners.
The UN chief has called for an end to the widening conflict and greater protection for civilians. Writing on X, he urged world leaders to create conditions that would allow diplomacy to succeed.
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“We must tackle the inequalities that divide societies,” Guterres said, while calling for an end to conflicts that deepen human suffering. During his visit, Guterres also met the UN country team in Egypt and regional directors.
They discussed cooperation with the Egyptian government and humanitarian assistance for people affected by conflicts in Gaza and Sudan. Egypt hosts Palestinians who fled Gaza after the war began in October 2023.
Among them are patients and wounded people who require medical treatment. The country has also received large numbers of Sudanese fleeing the conflict that erupted in April 2023.
Egyptian government estimates cited in UNICEF reporting put Sudanese arrivals since the war began at more than 1.2 million people.
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About 5 million Sudanese already lived in Egypt before the conflict. Guterres and Fahmy previously met during the United Nations General Assembly in New York in September.
Their discussions covered regional security concerns and the consequences of military escalation for international shipping, energy security and global trade.
