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As a result of the Gaza war, there are tens of thousands of Palestinians in Egypt to whom Egypt refuses to grant refugee status.
HS freelancer Outi Neuvonen met with Palestinians in Cairo, who have no right to healthcare, employment, or education.
Text and photos by Outi Neuvonen
Doa Abdul Rahim was evacuated from a hospital in Gaza to Cairo last November. Doa lost her legs in a bombing that targeted her home. The explosion killed 36 people. Doa wants to return to Gaza as soon as possible, even though she no longer has a home there.
Egypt is home to an estimated nine million migrants, many of whom are refugees residing in the Greater Cairo area. Their situation is often challenging, as they lack official refugee status, limiting their access to essential services such as healthcare, education, and employment.
Women line up for food donations at a grocery store near Doa’s neighborhood. Doa and five other Palestinian women living with her rely on donations provided by volunteers.
Mohammed Surhafan's daughter outside their apartment. Surhafan's children cannot attend official schools in Egypt, but they study using phones and in schools organized by volunteers for Palestinian children.
Dozens of relatives and friends of Zuhair Mahmoud, who fled to Cairo in April, have died in Gaza. The first to die was Zuhair's cousin, who was found under the rubble of a collapsed building in Gaza on October 24, 2023.
Mohammed Surhafan's family crossed the Gaza-Egypt border at Rafah in March. The family paid over 30,000 dollars for the border crossing and received three-day visas. After the visas expired, they stayed in the country illegally. Mohammed is depressed, as the family has lost their home He also cannot build a life in Cairo, as he does not have
Abdal and Yaseen Naser are playing football in front of their home in New Cairo. The boys' parents decided to leave Gaza because they wanted to give their children a chance to live without war. They do not believe that the conflicts will end, even if a ceasefire were to temporarily take effect. However, now they do not know how to
Underage boys collect trash in the Manshiyat Naser neighborhood in Cairo. Without refugee status, many Palestinians are forced to resort to the informal labor market. One of the most common informal job opportunities in Cairo is waste collection. This work is often physically demanding, and the pay can be very low,
Randa Sophe, 36, fled Gaza with her family to Cairo in April. The family paid over $20,000 for the border crossing. Randa sold all her gold jewelry to raise the funds needed for the crossing.
The Surhafan family has three children: Hala, 11, Amir, 5, and Hamdi, 12. Before the war, the family was affluent. In their current home in Cairo, the bedroom has mattresses on the floor instead of beds.
Aya Asaker's youngest child, Muhammed, was injured in an airstrike in April. The skin on Muhammed's hand was burned, and he has undergone multiple skin grafts.
Abdruf Mahmud is playing with the neighbor's children in Cairo, where he was evacuated from a hospital in Gaza about a year ago. He carries a stoma bag in his hand. Abdruf was injured when burning debris from an apartment that had just been bombed fell on him. He was evacuated to Cairo with his aunt, Riwa Ibrahim.
Stray dogs outside the home of Palestinian women. Undocumented women rarely go outside during daylight hours due to safety concerns. Cairo is one of the world's most densely populated metropolitan areas, making it easy to disappear there.
Heyam, 7, fled to Cairo with her family. She suffers from post traumatic stress reactions.
Heyam's home in Gaza.
From the window of a Palestinian family's home in Cairo, there is a view of Manshiyat Naser, the neighborhood known as 'Garbage City.' Manshiyat Naser is one of Cairo's poorest areas, and its residents often live without official residence documents. This is also the case for Palestinians who have settled in the area.
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