Policy Updates

On April 17, 2026, Canada announced CAD5.5 million (US$4 million) in humanitarian assistance to address the ongoing economic and energy crisis in Cuba, with funding allocated to PAHO and WFP

Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand and Secretary of State for International Development Randeep Sarai announced the funding on behalf of Global Affairs Canada. Cuba has faced a deepening humanitarian crisis marked by repeated nationwide power grid failures, prolonged blackouts, and acute fuel shortages, severely disrupting access to food, clean water, and health care.

Of the total, CAD5 million (US$3.6 million) was allocated to PAHO to improve access to essential health services, critical medicines, and medical supplies, as well as to strengthen supply chains and support primary health care facilities and referral hospitals. The remaining CAD500,000 (US$365,000) was allocated to WFP to provide food assistance and support essential logistics and fuel needs for the humanitarian response.

On April 16, 2026, the Global Financing Facility for Women, Children and Adolescents announced new funding commitments totaling US$806 million from governments and philanthropic partners to support its TRANSFORM 2030 strategy, a five-year plan to accelerate reductions in preventable maternal and child deaths.

The announcements were made on the sidelines of the World Bank Group-International Monetary Fund Spring Meetings in Washington, DC. The commitments represent more than 80% of the GFF's fundraising goal of US$1 billion by the end of 2026, with additional pledges expected in the coming months.

Commitments announced included:

• CAD190 million (US$139 million) from the Government of Canada;
• EUR45 million (US$53 million) from the Government of Germany;
• US$186 million from the Government of the Netherlands;
• NOK600 million (US$66 million) from the Government of Norway;
• US$150 million from the Children's Investment Fund Foundation;
• US$200 million from the Gates Foundation; and
• US$15 million from the Laerdal Scale Up Fund.

Philanthropic and private sector commitments included US$250 million for the newly launched Sustainable Commodities Access Program, designed to incentivize countries to expand access to high-quality commodities and address supply chain bottlenecks, and US$15 million for a new innovations challenge program to scale up the Safer Births Bundle of Care in 10 countries.

On April 15, 2026, Canada announced more than CAD120 million (US$88 million) in new funding to address the humanitarian crisis in Sudan and neighboring countries, including humanitarian assistance, development funding, and peace and stabilization support.

Secretary of State for International Development Randeep Sarai made the announcement at the International Sudan Conference in Berlin, Germany. Sudan has faced a deepening humanitarian crisis driven by a civil war that began in 2023, resulting in the largest human displacement crisis in the world, widespread sexual violence, famine, and the collapse of basic services.

Canada's contribution included more than CAD94 million (US$69 million) in humanitarian assistance in 2026, delivered through partners to provide emergency food and nutrition, health care, protection, shelter, and water and sanitation to vulnerable people affected by the crisis in Sudan, South Sudan, and Chad.

An additional CAD25 million (US$18 million) was allocated to development assistance, including CAD18 million (US$13 million) to Save the Children Canada to deliver education for more than 60,000 children and protect children from violence, exploitation, and trauma, and CAD7 million (US$5 million) to the UN Population Fund to expand sexual and gender-based violence prevention and response services across Sudan, including in Darfur and Kordofan. Canada also allocated CAD1.25 million (US$912,000) to expand peace and stabilization efforts, including civilian-led initiatives.

During an April 3, 2026 visit to Ukraine, Secretary of State for International Development Randeep Sarai announced CAD51 million (US$37 million) in new funding across six projects targeting humanitarian assistance, democratic governance, veterans' support, and EU accession reforms. The projects are as follows:

• 2026 Humanitarian Assistance (CAD32 million/US$23 million): funding to multiple partners — including the Adventist Development and Relief Agency Canada, Development and Peace – Caritas Canada, HelpAge Canada, the International Medical Corps, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and its Country-Based Pooled Fund (Ukraine Humanitarian Fund), the ICRC, the UNHCR, and the WFP — to address urgent humanitarian needs, including emergency health care, shelter, water, sanitation, and food;
• FAIR-UA: Foundations for Accountable, Inclusive and Resilient Elections (CAD6 million/US$4 million, 2026-2029): support for credible, inclusive post-war elections in Ukraine, including strengthening the Central Election Commission of Ukraine, delivering voter education, countering disinformation, and supporting civil society oversight of electoral processes;
• Ukraine Ministry of Veterans Affairs Institutional Strengthening (CAD5 million/US$4 million, 2026-2029): capacity-building for the Ministry of Veterans Affairs of Ukraine to coordinate programs and services for veterans and their families;
• Supporting Inclusive Recovery and EU Accession of Ukraine (CAD5 million/US$4 million, 2026-2031): support for national governance reforms aligned with EU accession requirements and inclusive recovery policies;
• Mobile Service Delivery for Conflict-Affected Populations in Eastern Ukraine (additional CAD2 million/US$1 million, 2019-2026): additional funding to an existing project, bringing total Canadian support to CAD19 million (US$14 million), to improve access to basic public services for war-affected populations, including women, older persons, people with disabilities, and internally displaced persons; and
• Supporting Inclusive Grassroots Democracy in Ukraine (additional CAD1 million/US$1 million, 2018-2027): additional funding to an existing project, bringing total Canadian support to CAD13 million (US$9 million), to strengthen grassroots democratic movements and inclusive governance during wartime and into early recovery.

On March 27, 2026, Canadian Secretary of State for International Development Randeep Sarai announced CAD200 million (US$144 million) in renewed funding for Grand Challenges Canada to advance global health innovation.

Sarai made the announcement during a visit to KA Imaging, a Grand Challenges Canada-supported company based in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The renewed investment will support innovators in developing, testing, and scaling technology to improve health outcomes at low cost in high-poverty communities, while creating jobs and expanding into global markets.

The funding will also advance Grand Challenges Canada's collaboration with the Global Fund to increase the uptake of health innovations globally. Canada stated that the investment aims to deliver measurable impact, including better health outcomes for women, children, and vulnerable communities in high-poverty countries, as well as strengthened global health security.

Canadian Secretary of State Randeep Sarai announced CAD11.75 million (US$9 million) in new funding for humanitarian and development projects in Kenya, the surrounding region, and the Indo-Pacific during a visit to Kenya on March 18, 2026.

The funding package supported the following projects:

• CAD9.5 million (US$7 million) to Equitas for the United to Protect Human Rights project, supporting human rights defenders across East and West Africa, the Middle East and North Africa, and the Indo-Pacific from 2026 to 2028;
• CAD1.5 million (US$1 million) to the UNHCR for emergency protection, shelter, health, and livelihood services for refugees in Kenya;
• CAD500,000 (US$365,000) to the WFP for emergency food assistance to crisis-affected populations in Kenya; and
• CAD250,000 (US$183,000) to Manitoba Hydro International to support Kenya in preparing its electricity grid for future low-carbon power generation from 2026 to 2027.

Sarai also highlighted five active IDRC projects in Kenya, totaling approximately CAD3 million (US$2 million):

• CAD250,000 (US$183,000) for responsible AI policy-making in Kenya from 2024 to 2028;
• CAD1.25 million (US$913,000) for inclusive trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area in Kenya, Cameroon, Egypt, Rwanda, South Africa, and Zambia from 2025 to 2027;
• CAD600,000 (US$438,000) to expand access to clean cooking solutions for women in Ghana and Kenya from 2024 to 2026;
• CAD480,000 (US$350,000) to test drone delivery of essential medical supplies in rural Kenya from 2022 to 2026; and
• CAD250,000 (US$183,000) to develop a financing model for solar energy solutions for primary health care facilities in Kenya from 2024 to 2026.

On Decembr 2, 2025, donors pledged US$1.2 billion at the annual UNHCR Pledging Conference in Geneva for 2026 operations, slightly above the 2025 pledge and covering nearly 18% of UNHCR's projected funding needs.

UNHCR's National Partners committed an additional US$350 million from private sector fundraising, bringing total pledges to US$1.5 billion. Several governments confirmed multi-year contributions extending into 2027 and beyond to strengthen UNHCR's long-term planning.

UNHCR Comissioner Filippo Grandi stated that early and flexible funding provided a lifeline to respond quickly to new emergencies and deliver solutions in neglected crises. Top government contributors included Denmark, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, and Norway, with substantially increased contributions from Ireland, Luxembourg, and Iceland. The European Union confirmed significant funding already committed for 2026, while Austria and Spain joined the group of governments pledging support to UNHCR.

Unearmarked funding pledged dropped to 17% of total pledges, nearly half of 2023 levels, while earmarked funding for specific countries and activities increased. Norway, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, and Ireland pledged the largest amounts of unearmarked funding.

On November 21, 2025The Global Fund held its Eighth Replenishment Summit, in Johannesburg, South Africa, co-hosted by the governments of South Africa and the UK on the margins of the G20 Leaders' Summit, securing US$11.3 billion in pledges to sustain the fight against AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria.

Partners from more than 30 countries pledged support to save lives and strengthen systems for health, marking the first replenishment held on African soil. The summit demonstrated global solidarity despite fiscal tightening, conflict, and global uncertainty, though total pledges fell short of the ambitious target set in the Investment Case and several donors had yet to confirm their pledges.

The US, the Global Fund's largest donor, committed US$4.6 billion. The UK pledged GBP850 million (US$1.1 billion), while Germany confirmed EUR1 billion (US$1.2 billion) and Canada pledged CAD1.02 billion (US$723 million). France noted that its support remained unchanged. Spain increased its pledge to EUR145 million (US$167 million), Italy pledged EUR150 million (US$173 million), the Netherlands contributed EUR146 million (US$169 million), and additional pledges came from many other donors. South Africa committed US$37 million, including US$10 million from the private sector. African countries made solidarity commitments totaling US$52 million. G20 member states reached US$9 billion in commitments.

Within the private sector, the Gates Foundation pledged US$912 million, the Children's Investment Fund Foundation pledged US$135 million, and (RED) committed US$75 million. Overall, private sector support reached US$1.3 billion.

Canada announced CAD7 million (US$5.0 million) in humanitarian assistance on October 30, 2025, to support emergency relief efforts in the Caribbean region following Hurricane Melissa, including support for humanitarian partners in the region.

Canada allocated CAD5 million (US$3.5 million) of the total to humanitarian partners to provide emergency food, water, sanitation, health services, protection, and logistics services. The government earmarked CAD2 million (US$1.4 million) to the World Food Programme's Caribbean Regional Logistics Hub in Barbados, which dispatched food and relief items to Jamaica. Canada has also offered to deploy relief supplies from its emergency stockpiles via the Red Cross Movement if requested.

Secretary of State for International Development Randeep Sarai stated that Canada's initial response focused on addressing immediate and urgent needs in the Caribbean region, while additional support opportunities are being explored. Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand emphasized that Canada continues to stand with the Caribbean in response to the disaster, focusing not only on immediate relief but also the opportunity to rebuild stronger.

Canada's government announced CAD2.7 billion (US$1.9 billion) in cuts to ODA over four years on November 4, 2025 as part of Prime Minister Mark Carney's first budget, reducing ODA spending to pre-pandemic levels.

The budget outlined reductions to global health programming, in which Canada had increased development and humanitarian spending during the pandemic to restore stalled progress on fighting major illnesses such as AIDS and tuberculosis as governments turned their attention to COVID-19. The International Development Research Centre will also see cuts starting with CAD11 million (US$7.8 million) in the fiscal year beginning in April 2026, rising to CAD24 million (US$17 million) annually by the end of five years. The Canadian government had previously allocated CAD159 million (US$113 million) to IDRC for the current fiscal year.

Under the banner of trade finance, the government repurposed CAD138 million (US$98 million) in current funding for Global Affairs Canada, primarily from an allocation the government used for funding announcements at global summits, to rebuild Ukraine's critical infrastructure. The government stated Ukraine's reconstruction could boost Canadian industry across nearly every sector. Canada has planned to cut funding to some international financial institutions while finding ways to leverage Canada's contributions further.