Ottawa is sending $4 million in humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza. In a joint announcement last week on the Canadian International Development Agency’s (CIDA) website, Bev Oda and Lawrence Cannon – ministers of international co-operation and foreign affairs, respectively – announced that Canada would send the money to help stem the “deteriorating humanitarian situation” in Gaza.
Cabinet ministers Lawrence Cannon and Bev Oda
“Canada remains deeply concerned by the conflict and is committed to helping the innocent civilians affected by the violence in Gaza,” Oda said.
CIDA will administer the aid package – $3 million of which is designated to support a UN appeal to “meet urgent needs” such as food, shelter and medical materials.
According to CIDA, the other $1 million is being earmarked for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which CIDA said “has an established presence in the region” that helps with food and water distribution as well as sanitation services.
CIDA added that none of the funding will go to Hamas, which Ottawa considers a terrorist organization, but that it stood ready to inject more financial support, if necessary, as the humanitarian situation in Gaza develops.
Calls by The CJN to the agency were not returned by deadline.
“The conditions in Gaza are very concerning,” Cannon said. “Canada urges all efforts to allow safe and unhindered access to humanitarian assistance.”
Cannon also commended Israel’s Jan. 6 decision to “facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance through a temporary ceasefire” in which the Israel Defence Forces started allowing a daily three-hour window for relief workers to move aid into Gaza.
Hamas has used these pockets of calm to fire more rockets at Israel.
Speaking to reporters on Parliament Hill after the announcement last week, Cannon answered questions about Canada’s position on “the proportionality”of Israel’s response to Hamas’ years of rocket attacks on the Jewish state’s southern cities, saying that Israel “is allowed to defend itself and… it defended itself. While recognizing that, and asking Hamas to cease its rocket attacks, we need an immediate ceasefire that is going to be durable and have two states living side by side, in peace, living democratically.”
Moshe Ronen, chair of the Canada-Israel Committee, told TheCJN his organization welcomed the government’s efforts on behalf of the Palestinian people as part of an international endeavour to address humanitarian needs.
“That said, the [committee] has cautioned the government that it must ensure that the assistance is not hijacked by Hamas or diverted to support Hamas operatives at the expense of the civilian population for whom it was intended,” Ronen said.
“As always, Canadian aid must be accompanied by a protocol that ensures transparency and accountability so that Canada can be certain the assistance reached the intended population.”