Canada announces final tally of Syria Emergency Relief Fund and additional programming through Canadian and international partners
News Release
April 13, 2016 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada
The Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of International Development and La Francophonie, today announced funding of $100 million to help the most vulnerable communities affected by the Syrian crisis. Canadians generously donated a total of $31.8 million to charitable organizations in response to the conflict in Syria, which the Government of Canada will match through the Syria Emergency Relief Fund. The Minister also announced that the government is going beyond the matching fund with an additional $68.2 million in humanitarian assistance to address the needs of people across the region affected by the Syrian conflict.
The government’s $31.8-million contribution to the matching fund will be entirely allocated to the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF). This contribution will increase education opportunities, provide child-protection services in Syria and Jordan and support immunization efforts for children in Syria, responding to critical needs and building the resilience of conflict-affected communities.
The balance of today’s $100-million funding announcement will be allocated to trusted Canadian and international partners, whose work includes a multi-purpose emergency assistance program in Iraq and providing life-saving assistance, such as shelter, food, health care and water, to conflict-affected families in Syria, Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon.
Minister Bibeau made the announcement alongside representatives of numerous Canadian non-governmental organizations, including Action Against Hunger Canada, the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, Canadian Lutheran World Relief, CARE Canada, Development and Peace Caritas Canada, Handicap International Canada, Médecins du Monde Canada, Oxfam-Québec, UNICEF Canada and World Vision Canada.
Quotes
“Once again, Canadians have demonstrated their incredible generosity and compassion by helping millions of people still requiring assistance in Syria and the region. We cannot afford to lose the potential of an entire generation of young Syrians because their right to pursue an education has been taken away from them by poverty, lack of opportunities and war. By working with trusted partners, we are making a real difference by providing communities in need with better access to education, health care, food assistance and other basic services.”
- Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of International Development and La Francophonie
“The conflict in Syria is taking its toll on children across the region. There are, nonetheless, pockets of hope. In the Makani centres of Jordan, in the temporary classrooms of Syria, we can see children eager to learn and to build a brighter future for themselves. The ongoing generosity of Canadians and today’s announcement will go a long way toward giving those children the belief that they can live a life without fear and that they can achieve their dreams.”
- David Morley, President and CEO, UNICEF Canada
“The crises in the Middle East continue to generate new tragedies and violations of international humanitarian law. Every day, Handicap International and its fellow humanitarian organizations work with tens of millions of victims. The most vulnerable of these need immediate and long-term assistance, which is what the new Canadian funding will make possible.”
- Jérôme Bobin, Executive Director, Handicap International Canada
Quick facts
- The Government of Canada is a leading donor in response to the Syrian and Iraq crises. In February, the government announced a three-year commitment of $1.1 billion in response to the Syrian crisis to address humanitarian and development needs. This package builds on previous contributions made since the start of the Syrian humanitarian crisis.
- Since January 7, 2016, when the government announced it would extend the deadline for individual donations to be matched by its Syria Emergency Relief Fund, Canadians have more than doubled their donations to Canadian registered charities with nearly $20 million in additional money to a total of $31.8 million.
- On February 8, 2016, Canada announced its new strategy to address the ongoing crises in Iraq and Syria and the impact they are having on the surrounding region.
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Bernard Boutin
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of International Development and La Francophonie
343-203-5977
bernard.boutin@international.gc.ca
Media Relations Office
Global Affairs Canada
343-203-7700
media@international.gc.ca
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