Source: Asway Masriya
Thirteen-year-old Sohair al-Batea died shortly after a Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) operation was conducted on her Thursday evening at a clinic in the governorate of Daqahlia, a UN statement said.

The Ministry of Health did not comment as they have not been informed of the case, according to the press office.

Following Batea's operation at the clinic, she was rushed to the hospital where she passed away.

The cause of death was announced as severe drop in the girl's blood pressure.

Outraged by the incident, the United Nations Children's Fun, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) expressed their distress and concern over the issue.

"This violation of children's and women's rights should be stopped once and for all. As per Egyptian law, FGM/C [Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting] is a crime. UNICEF and UNFPA urge all relevant authorities to exert their utmost efforts to fully enforce the law.

"UNICEF and UNFPA in Egypt look forward to the results of the full investigation of the death of Sohair, and to the prosecution of those responsible for the loss of this innocent life," read the statement.

FGM was legally criminalized in the Child Law of 2008, with a penalty that includes a minimum of three months in prison and maximum of two years, or a fine between 1,000 to 5,000 Egyptian pounds.

Although there has been much discussion of removing this prohibition following the rise of Islamic fundamentalists, there has never been an official move to remove it and FGM remains a crime, according to the Ministry of Health.

Thousands of Egyptian families are progressively abandoning the habit and religious figures and establishments, including the Grand Mufti and Al-Azhar, have repeatedly stated that FGM does not have any religious basis, whether in Islam or Christianity.

• Egypt