Floods in Egypt spark criticism of delays to relief efforts

Flooding in Egypt has killed 29 civilians and injured at least 73, according to the health ministry, sparking criticism among Egyptians that the government has failed to provide fast relief.

.Khaled Megahed, the health ministry spokesman, said on Monday that Thursday’s floods hit four provinces in Egypt: South Sinai, the Red Sea, Sohag and Bani Suef in Upper Egypt

While on Tuesday relief supplies began to reach the impacted provinces, many have attacked the slow response to the flooding that began late on Wednesday night.

Translation: The minister, Kamal el-Wazeer, head of the engineering body of the armed forces, oversees the dealings with the after effects of the #floods and food distribution in #Ras_Gharib. 

Egyptians in the affected provinces have come out on the streets to express anger at the lack of adequate governmental support.

Arabic newspapers have reported that residents of the Red Sea coastal town of Ras Gharib, which was the worst hit area in the country, stopped a convoy of the Egyptian prime minister, Sherif Ismail, in protest.

Social media has also shown reports of angry Ras Gharib locals ejecting controversial Egyptian TV presenter Reham Said due to a suspicion that she had come to “profit” from their misfortunes while covering the floods.

Many Egyptians have since criticised the Egyptian army and previous pledges from the country’s president about relief operations. 

Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has previously stated that if needed, the Egyptian army could be deployed throughout the country within six hours.

Egyptians have since taken to Twitter to question why such a quick response has not been deployed in the aftermath of the floods.

الناس فى #راس_غارب حالتهم اصعب مما تتخيلو الناس ف الصعيد حالتهم تصعب على الكافر .هو الجيش مش هينتشر فى 6 ساعات ويلحق الناس قبل ماتموت #عبث

Translation: The people in #Ras_Gharib are in a worse condition than you could imagine. Their condition would make anyone empathise for them. Is the army not going to spread out in 6 hours and save the people before they die? 

Translation: The army can spread out in 6 hours in every part of the country but it can’t come out and save the people from the floods in #Ras_Gharib because they’re scared of the social media youth