Policy Updates

On May 27, 2024, Canadian Minister of International Development, Ahmed Hussed announced more than CAD55 million (US$40 million) to address urgent civilian needs in Syria amid the ongoing conflict.

The new funding will address urgent civilian needs in Syria and the region, including providing food, WASH services, protection services including the prevention and response to GBV, and health services including the provision of access to SRH healthcare. Development assistance funding will also be allocated through existing projects in Iraq, Jordan, and Lebanon that benefit Syrian refugees and strengthen these countries’ ability to support displaced Syrians.

More than 13 years into the Syrian crisis, over 16 million people, or 70% of the population, urgently require assistance, and nearly 7 million Syrian refugees remain sheltered in neighboring countries. The new funding brings Canada’s total commitment to over CAD147 million (US$108 million) in international assistance funding to Syria and neighboring countries in 2024.

On May 16, 2024, Canadian Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussen announced CAD65 million (US$48 million) in funding to address urgent civilian needs in Gaza amid the ongoing conflict, including food, medical assistance, and other essential services.

The funding includes CAD25 million (US$18 million) to UNRWA, previously announced in June 2023, as well as an additional CAD40 million (US$29 million) in new funding distributed to UNWRA and other trusted partners, including the CRC. The funding will support the distribution of food, water, emergency medical assistance, protection services, and other critical assistance.

Hussen also announced that Canada has delivered a payment of CAD25 million (US$18 million) to UNRWA as part of its previously announced existing multi-year commitment with the agency to help meet the education, health, and safety assistance needs of Palestinian refugees in the region.

Canada reiterated its condemnation of Hamas and their attack on October 7, 2023, as well as Canada’s demand for the immediate release of hostages, the urgent need for an immediate and sustained ceasefire in Gaza, and its commitment to a two-state solution.

On May 14-15, 2024, the C7 summit was held at the UN FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy, organized by the Italian Civil Society Coalition that led, coordinated, and moderated the C7 2024 process.

Approximately 400 global representatives took part in the event, as well as international decision-makers, including FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu, Italian G7 sherpa Ambassador Elisabetta Belloni, Cardinal, President of the Italian Episcopal Conference, Pope’s envoy for the Russian-Ukrainian conflict Matteo Maria Zuppi, and Director of the UN SDG Action Campaign Marina Ponti.

The official C7 communiqué that listed the international civil society recommendation to the G7’s Leaders around seven key issues was released at the event, which included:

• Economic justice and transformation;
• Climate, energy transformation, and environmental justice;
• Global health;
• Principled humanitarian assistance;
• Peace, common security, and nuclear disarmament;
• Human mobility and migration; and
• Food justice and food systems transformation.

On May 3, 2024, Canada announced CAD65 million (US$48 million) in international assistance funding to Lebanon, including CAD38 million (US$28 million) in development assistance funding and CAD27 million (US$20 million) in humanitarian assistance funding.

The humanitarian assistance will help provide WASH services, health care including SRH services, and protection services including for survivors of SGBV.

The development funding includes:

• CAD20 million (US$15 million) to the UN FAO to improve the capacities of farmers and increase food security in response to climate change and economic shocks;
• CAD13 million (US$10 million) to UNDP to improve the economic security and prosperity of women-led micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises in sectors with high growth and export potential; and
• CAD5 million (US$4 million) to UN Women and UNDP to address barriers facing women’s representation in decision-making and leadership positions, specifically for women in parliament and municipal councils.

On April 15, 2024, Canadian Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussen participated in the International Humanitarian Conference for Sudan and its Neighbours, where he announced CAD132million (US$96 million) in international assistance funding to Sudan and neighbouring Central African Republic, Chad, Ethiopia, and South Sudan.

The announcement included nearly CAD101 million (US$73 million) in humanitarian assistance and nearly CAD32 million (US$23 million) in development assistance amid the ongoing armed conflict in Sudan. The funding is slated to provide crisis-affected people with emergency health services, food and nutrition assistance, protection services for gender-based violence survivors, and other assistance including shelter, water, and sanitation services. The development assistance will support critical programming in SRHR and education infrastructure.

On March 25, 2024, amid a growing humanitarian crisis in Sudan, Open Canada is criticized the government of Canada for its inaction to address the public health and nutrition crisis, as well as the government’s lack of focus on the African continent as a whole.

The humanitarian crisis in Sudan followed the outbreak of war in April 2023, with 8 million people displaced, roughly half the population (approximately 25 million people) in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, a cholera outbreak, and a widespread famine predicted by June 2024.

Open Canada criticized the government for its passivity in the crisis, with neither Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau nor Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly having spoken publicly about Sudan since shortly after the outbreak of war. While Canada evacuated its Sudanese embassy in April 2023, it did not follow other donor countries in maintaining the presence of a senior official in the region to assist in conflict resolution or support key international humanitarian and development organizations. Open Canada also noted that, unlike the EU, UK, and US, Canada has not imposed sanctions on Sudan.

The group also criticized Canada's apathetic approach to the region more broadly. Canada announced a new Foreign Policy Engagement Plan for Africa in 2022, however, the strategy has since been transitioned into a “framework” with the Canadian government yet to release any details of the plan. Open Canada called on the Canadian government to implement a proper engagement strategy in Africa, particularly amid the growing humanitarian, development, and security crisis in Sudan.

On March 19, 2024, Canada’s Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussen announced CAD15 million (US$11 million) in development assistance funding for three projects in Iraq to support resilient food systems, climate change action, and gender empowerment.

Funding announced included:

• CAD5 million (US$4 million) to the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture’s Strengthening Evidence-Based Water Management project, which will improve sustainable water resource management;
• CAD5 million (US$4 million) to Action Against Hunger Canada’s Promoting Feminist Solutions to Climate Change-Driven Water and Food Insecurity, which will promote adoption of climate-smart approaches in food value chains and climate change governance by strengthening women’s rights organizations in drought-affected areas; and
• CAD5 million (US$4 million) to the National Democratic Institute’s Supporting Gender-Sensitive Local Governance Through Women’s Advisory Boards Program, which will strengthen women’s capacity to influence decisions on the allocation of resources in their communities.

On January 30, 2024, Canada’s Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussen announced that Canada is providing an additional CAD40 million (US$30 million) to address urgent needs in Gaza, in the wake of Canada’s suspension of funding to UNRWA.

The funding will support Canada’s partners in administering life-saving assistance including food, water, emergency medical assistance, and protection services. The announcement included the following funding lines:

• WFP: CAD16 million (US$12 million);
• UNICEF: CAD6 million (US$4 million);
• UNFPA: CAD5 million (US$4 million);
• WHO: CAD3 million (US$2 million);
• ICRC: CAD3 million (US$2 million);
• UNOCHA: CAD2 million (US$1 million); and
• Canadian NGO partners: CAD5 million (US$4 million).

Canada also vowed to work with UNRWA to support the investigation into the allegations of staff’s involvement in the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack, and reaffirmed its call for a humanitarian ceasefire and a two-state solution.

On January 26, 2024, Canada’s Minister of International Development announced the temporary suspension of Canada’s funding to UNRWA, in response to allegations of the agency’s staff being involved in Hamas’s attacks against Israel on October 7, 2023.

Canada vowed to continue its life-saving assistance, including food, water, sanitation, and medical services, for the people of Gaza through other partners.

The director of UNRWA warned that the organization would not be able to continue operations beyond February if support is not restored. Global affairs experts raised concern that Canada and other donor nations’ decision to pause funding could have grave consequences for Palestinians.