Despite Cairo’s historically clear shortage of green spaces, these spaces are continuously shrinking, while the remaining ones are  at risk of removal. The preservation of green places is not prioritized over plans to enlarge highways or construct bridges that serve as a link to ‘major projects’ and new communities. Between 2017 and 2020, Cairo lost around 910,894 m2 of its already limited green areas. The highest loss of green spaces was mainly in Heliopolis and East Nasr City. Heliopolis lost 272,274 m2 between the years 2017 and 2020 while East Nasr City lost 311,283 m2

Along with record inflation and a sharp weakening of the currency, the outages have become a potent symptom of the worst economic crisis to hit Egypt since Sisi took power in 2014 on promises of stability and development.

Egypt’s natural gas production fell to a three-year low in the first five months of 2023, figures from the Joint Organisations Data Initiative (JODI) show, raising questions about the country’s efforts to position itself as a regional energy hub.
Currently the country is grappling with power shortages when a heatwave has driven up demand for cooling.
Gas production between January and May declined by 9% year-on-year and 12% when compared to the same period in 2021.

The cuts appear to last longer in rural areas, which have higher poverty rates, and have left many people without power amid soaring temperatures, hindering their ability to perform their jobs, including for some medical workers, and limiting access to water. The government should recognize everyone’s right to clean, accessible, and affordable electricity.

Meanwhile, a cabinet spokesperson had the audacity to publicly state that coastal resorts and tourist places will not face electricity cuts “so as not to tarnish Egypt’s image in front of the tourists.”

They lived there for five months until the army and the interior ministry made them leave, forcibly. They were not provided with alternative housing and are currently living in the street. This video was given to Sarah Carr by Mohab Muhammad, one of the people forcibly evicted.

A protest is planned today, 1pm, at Maspero in solidarity with Essalam and Nahda residents who are camping outside the State TV building demanding housing.