The Canadian government says it’s sending an additional $50 million to support humanitarian relief efforts in the Gaza Strip and neighbouring areas, as the conflict continues between Israel and the Hamas terrorist group that controls Gaza.
Israel retaliated with airstrikes on targets in Gaza. It has also cut off the supply of food, water, and fuel that it had been providing to the densely populated area and said it will continue the siege until all hostages are freed by Hamas.
The Gaza Strip, a 360-square-kilometre narrow strip of land on the Mediterranean coast, bordered by Egypt to the south and by Israel to the north and east, has a population of over 2 million, primarily Palestinian Arabs, with more than half living in refugee camps.
The government said it will work to ensure none of the funds end up in the hands of Hamas but rather will be used to provide food, water, emergency medical assistance, and other support.
“It is critical that Palestinian civilians in Gaza who need life-saving assistance receive it as soon as possible,” Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said in the release.
The news comes as both ministers are visiting the area to take part in the Cairo Peace Summit. They will be in Egypt on Oct. 21 and 22.
Ms. Joly is also scheduled to meet with Canadian embassy staff in Cairo to discuss how to support Canadians in the area, including helping them leave Gaza.
Dozens of regional leaders and other Western officials will also attend the summit to discuss ways to reduce the fighting in the region.
Ms. Joly said the summit will be an opportunity for partners to address the “increasingly dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza.”
“Canada unequivocally condemns the terrorist attack against Israel by Hamas and will continue to call on all parties to protect civilians and respect international humanitarian law,” she said in the release.
Previous Aid
Ottawa was already providing $55 million a year prior to the Oct. 7 attack to “help meet the development and humanitarian needs of vulnerable Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza,” Global Affairs Canada (GAC) spokesperson Charlotte MacLeod previously told The Epoch Times. Of that, $35 million was dedicated to humanitarian assistance and $20 million for development aid, Ms. MacLeod said.Hamas rival Fatah rules the West Bank, home to some 3 million Palestinians, is not connected by land to Gaza. It is bordered by Jordan to the east and by Israel to the south, west, and north.
Development assistance funding is divided among various organizations, including Canadian Lutheran World Relief, Catholic Relief Services, Cowater International, Mercy Corps, UN Women, the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and Right to Play, Ms. MacLeod said.
The organizations provide programs and support in different ways, including “addressing sexual and gender-based violence against women and girls,” GAC said.
There are also programs that help farmers and herders in the area with equipment, tools, and training.
