Canada provides funding to respond to crises in Sudan and Democratic Republic of Congo

March 21, 2025 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada

Canada recognizes that the world is grappling with increasing geopolitical uncertainty, with conflicts spanning several continents impacting millions of people. This is why Canada is dedicated to doing its part to support those in need by collaborating with trusted and reliable partners on international assistance efforts.

Today, the Sudanese people continue to bear the brunt of the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, which started in April 2023. More than 12.8 million people have been forced to flee as they faced unspeakable human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian law. And in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the escalating violence has displaced hundreds of thousands of people across the eastern DRC and exacerbated the longstanding humanitarian crisis.

To address the needs of the people affected by these conflicts, the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development, today announced that Canada is providing more than $116 million in humanitarian, development and peace and security assistance funding for Sudan ($75 million) and the DRC (more than $41 million).

In Sudan, this includes:

• $60 million in humanitarian assistance funding, bringing the total funding of Canada’s humanitarian response in Sudan to $64 million in 2025; this funding is being provided to the UN, the Red Cross and NGO partners to deliver life-saving assistance, including food, protection, health, water, sanitation and hygiene services
• $5 million in development assistance funding to enhance the dignity and safety of survivors of conflict-related sexual violence and to strengthen the capacity of health care providers in the clinical management of rape survivors and psychological first aid services
• $10 million in peace and security funding to protect civilians and humanitarian workers and facilitate the delivery of much needed humanitarian assistance in conflict-affected areas by reducing the threat of explosive ordnance contamination

 In the DRC, this includes:

• over $26 million in humanitarian assistance funding, bringing Canada’s humanitarian response in the DRC to more than $42 million in 2025; this funding is being provided to the UN, the Red Cross and NGO partners to deliver life-saving assistance, including food, protection, health, water, sanitation and hygiene services
• $15 million in development assistance funding to strengthen the capacity of national institutions and local civil society to protect conflict-affected women and girls from gender-based violence, to provide holistic care to sexual- and gender-based violence survivors and to support displaced families in their transition from emergency food assistance to sustainable food sources and livelihoods        

Canada calls on all parties to these conflicts to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, in accordance with their obligations under international humanitarian law. They must allow and facilitate safe, rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian assistance for civilians in need. Canada also urges them to promote accountability for international humanitarian law and human rights law violations. Canada continues to call on all parties to immediately cease hostilities and to conduct negotiations in good faith on a peaceful resolution through inclusive dialogue.