(2004-43) News Release September 24, 2004 Khartoum, Sudan — The Honourable Aileen Carroll, Minister of International Cooperation, today announced that Canada, through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), will provide an additional $10.8 million for humanitarian aid and peacebuilding efforts in Sudan. This funding supports Canada's comprehensive approach to the crises in Sudan, which involves protection for those affected by conflict, assistance to alleviate suffering, and support for peacebuilding efforts. Minister Carroll and Senator Mobina Jaffer, Canada's Special Envoy for Peace in Sudan, are in Sudan and have been participating in meetings to determine how best to move forward with efforts to alleviate the suffering of the Sudanese people and to urge the parties to the different conflicts in Sudan to re-engage in peace talks. "Over the past few days, Senator Jaffer and I have met with Sudanese government officials urging them to meet their responsibilities to protect civilians," said Minister Carroll. "Humanitarian action and peacebuilding efforts are vital to help stabilize the situation in Darfur. The funding announced today directly addresses priority needs in these areas." Today's funding will be disbursed as follows: $6 million to the World Food Programme for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Darfur and Sudanese refugees in neighbouring Chad; $3 million to the Canadian Foodgrains Bank to provide emergency food aid and water and sanitation services for IDPs and host populations in South and West Darfur. These activities are aimed at preventing and reducing high levels of global acute malnutrition in IDP camps in West Darfur; $1 million to the Canadian Red Cross for two mobile health units that will be used to deliver urgently needed primary health care to people in villages and IDP settlements, including victims of sexual violence. In addition, they will be used to transport the critically ill to secondary care facilities; $400,000 to Save the Children to provide emergency reproductive health services for adolescents and young women in 20 camps in Darfur. The main objective is to reduce disease and mortality among females of childbearing age through the provision of reproductive health care, and support to survivors of rape and sexual exploitation; $471,000 to the International Rescue Committee to continue its work with Sudanese youth. After so many years of conflict, a generation of youth has been severely affected by exploitation and displacement, disruption or absence of education, and over 1 million have been left orphaned. This initiative aims to improve the capacity of Sudanese youth to become engaged in creating more peaceful communities. Today's contribution brings Canada's total support for humanitarian aid, including protection activities, and peacebuilding efforts in Sudan, since October 2003, to over $ 37 million. This includes CIDA's recent $1 million contribution to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to help strengthen its efforts to protect and promote the human rights of civilians affected by ongoing conflict in Darfur. Funding for these initiatives was provided for in the February 2003 federal budget and is therefore built into the existing fiscal framework. - 30 - Information: Andrew Graham Director of Communications Office of the Minister of International Cooperation Telephone: (819) 953-6238 Media Relations Office Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) Telephone: (819) 953-6534 Canada's support to Sudan Background In early 2003, civil conflict broke out in the Darfur region in western Sudan in parallel to the long-standing war between the north and south. Tens of thousands of people have died as a direct consequence of the conflict in Darfur. More than 1.2 million Sudanese have been displaced from their homes, including close to 200,000 who have fled to neighbouring Chad. Canada has been engaged in Sudan for more than a decade, including most recently in Darfur. Canada has pursued two separate but closely woven threads: pressing for both sides to sign the long-pending comprehensive settlement to the southern conflict, and arguing for substantive improvement in the situation in Darfur through a) humanitarian assistance, including protection activities, to alleviate the worst of the suffering; and b) supporting political negotiations to end the conflict. Canada's aid, delivered through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), supports international efforts to provide humanitarian assistance, including support for protection and human rights activities to safeguard civilians and peacebuilding efforts to complement our diplomatic initiatives. Humanitarian Assistance and Protection Since October 2003, CIDA has committed over $37 million to the people of Sudan including $25.9 million to address the urgent humanitarian needs of the internally displaced population in Darfur and Sudanese refugees in Chad. Canadian assistance is channelled through organizations such as the United Nations World Food Programme, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and UNICEF, as well as non-governmental organizations such as the Canadian Food Grains Bank, the Canadian Red Cross, Save the Children, the International Committee of the Red Cross, Oxfam, CARE and Doctors Without Borders. The Government of Canada has been active politically through bilateral and multilateral mechanisms, including the Security Council and the Commission on Human Rights, in seeking to urge the Government of Sudan to fulfil its responsibilities to protect civilian populations, to bring to justice those responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity, and for all parties to respect international human rights and humanitarian law. Recently the Government of Canada, through CIDA, provided $1 million to help the United Nations strengthen its efforts to protect and promote the human rights of civilians affected by the ongoing conflict in Darfur, in Western Sudan. This contribution will assist the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to extend its mission and to increase its capacity to investigate human rights abuses, to engage in capacity-building for those working to protect human rights, contribute to bringing to justice perpetrators, and thus contribute to protecting the physical security of civilians. Peacebuilding Canada has had long-term involvement in helping to address the root causes of the conflict through peacebuilding initiatives, including support to the North-South Sudan Peace Process. As a demonstration of that commitment, Canada appointed Senator Mobina Jaffer as Canada's Special Envoy in 2002 to work with the international community to urge the parties to the conflict in southern Sudan to reach a comprehensive agreement to Africa's longest running civil war. Her mandate was expanded to cover all of Sudan, including Darfur, as Canada's Special Envoy for Peace in Sudan, in 2004. This month, Senator Jaffer was in the region, including in Sudan, as part of a series of high-level meetings to urge parties to the conflicts in Sudan to take steps to resolve these conflicts through peaceful means. As well this month, Canada's Minister of International Cooperation, Aileen Carroll, went to Sudan to ascertain how best to meet the humanitarian needs of the war-affected people in Darfur and the Sudanese refugees in Chad. Canada strongly supports the leadership efforts of the African Union to resolve these crises through mediation, as well as through the deployment of cease-fire monitors and a protection force. The Canada Fund for Africa has made funds available to the African Union for peace operations in Africa, including in Darfur. As well, the Department of National Defence recently donated about $250,000 to the AU in basic army supplies to assist them in their efforts to provide security and stabilization in the Darfur region of Sudan. A contribution of $470,000 was provided by CIDA to the International Rescue Committee to continue its work with Sudanese youth. After so many years of conflict, a generation of youth has been severely affected by exploitation and displacement, disruption or absence of education, and over 1 million have been left orphaned. Their initiative aims to improve the capacity of Sudanese youth to become engaged in creating more peaceful communities. Canada supported a United Nations Security Council Resolution on Darfur, which calls on the Government of Sudan to disarm the militias, and reinforces the responsibility of the Government of Sudan to respect human rights, create credible security conditions for the protection of civilians and to bring to justice those who have committed grave human rights violations. Canada believes that the international community must maintain pressure on the Government of Sudan and other parties to peacefully end this conflict in Darfur, and to continue to urge the Government of Sudan and the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement to sign a comprehensive agreement.
