August 14, 2010
Toronto, Ontario―The Honourable John Baird, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, and the Honourable Senator Salma Ataullahjan announced today that the Government of Canada will provide up to $33 million to respond to the most urgent needs of flood-affected populations in Pakistan. They made the announcement on behalf of the Honourable Beverley J. Oda, Minister of International Cooperation, and the Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Foreign Affairs.
"The trail of devastation and the desperate humanitarian situation caused by the floods have worsened with the continuing rains," said Minister Baird. "This contribution will help meet priority needs, which include food, water and sanitation, emergency medical care and shelter, essential household goods, logistics and coordination efforts, and the deployment of Canadian relief supplies."
Pakistan has been hit with the worst floods in at least 80 years. The floods have left more than 6 million people in need of emergency assistance, have caused hundreds of thousands of others to be displaced, and have destroyed up to 85 percent of the infrastructure in the affected regions.
"In response, up to $25 million will be provided through CIDA for humanitarian assistance. Through this contribution, Canada will work closely with its partners to ensure that the needs of affected populations are met," added Minister Oda.
"In addition to CIDA's funding for humanitarian, life-saving assistance, the Global Peace and Security Fund, managed by the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, will provide $8 million in urgently needed equipment to help the Government of Pakistan better protect its people," said Minister of Foreign Affairs Lawrence Cannon. "Our contribution will restore linkages to communities cut off by the flooding and enable local authorities to provide security to those affected by this disaster."
The $8 million will be allocated in two phases-immediate and short-to-medium term. Bridging equipment will be provided immediately. Other operational support, which could include tents and equipment for life support, water purification, and communications to address security needs, will be considered after further assessment.
Today's announcement builds on more than $69 million in CIDA funding since 2009 for Pakistan. This includes bilateral aid programming, as well as $37 -million for humanitarian assistance, for such initiatives as food assistance, emergency shelter, water and sanitation facilities, and basic health care for conflict-affected people in Pakistan. For further information, please consult CIDA and DFAIT web pages on Pakistan.
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Information:
Isabelle Bouchard
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of International Cooperation
Telephone: 819-953-6238
Cell: 613-355-2465
Media Relations Office
Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)
Telephone: 819-953-6534
Email: media@acdi-cida.gc.ca
Melissa Lantsman
Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs
Telephone: 613-995-1851
Foreign Affairs Media Relations Office
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
Telephone: 613-995-1874
Humanitarian assistance
CIDA is allocating up to $25 million to help meet the most urgent needs of the flood-affected population. CIDA's funding is supporting the efforts of experienced partners, such as United Nations humanitarian agencies, the Red Cross Movement, and Canadian non-governmental organizations.
CIDA's contributions will help provide food, clean drinking water, medical care, emergency shelter, protection, essential household goods, and logistics and coordination, and help deploy relief supplies from CIDA's stockpile.
To date, the following organizations are being supported:
- Red Cross Movement $750,000 to the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to deliver immediate relief assistance to 25,000 families in the affected areas.
- United Nations agencies $1.25 million to the World Food Programme to provide emergency food assistance to 150,000 families affected by the floods.
- Non-governmental organizations
- $600,000 to Save the Children Canada to provide essential primary healthcare, emergency medical referral services, as well as complementary health promotion education and supplies to flood-affected people in Swat.
- $500,000 to CARE Canada to meet the urgent needs of flood-affected people in three severely affected districts in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkwha.
- $400,000 to Oxfam Canada to provide water, sanitation, and hygiene education to 400,000 people in the most severely affected districts of four provinces in Pakistan.
In addition, CIDA is providing up to $1 million to deploy CIDA's emergency relief supplies, including tents, jerrycans and mosquito nets, to support ongoing emergency relief operations on the ground by the IFRC.
Canada's contribution
As an initial response to the floods in Pakistan, CIDA provided $2 million on August 3, 2010. The remaining details of Canada's contributions are being finalized based on the priority needs identified by our key humanitarian partners on the ground.
Canada's contribution builds on more than $69 million in CIDA funding from fiscal year 2009-2010 for Pakistan. This includes $37 million for humanitarian assistance for initiatives such as food assistance, emergency shelter, water and sanitation facilities, and basic health care for conflict-affected people.
Canada's current programming
In 2009, as part of Canada's new aid effectiveness agenda, Pakistan was selected by CIDA as one of 20 countries of focus.
Pakistan has a population of approximately 170 million, 29 percent of whom live in absolute poverty. Canada's development cooperation program in Pakistan focuses on:
- education, with an emphasis on supporting children and youth through teacher training and support for the Pakistani education system
- sustainable economic growth, with an emphasis on women's economic empowerment
- selected initiatives supporting democratic governance
For more information on Canada's humanitarian assistance and development efforts in Pakistan, please visit CIDA's web page on Pakistan.
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
The Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) is committing up to $8 million for materials to construct temporary bridges. This assistance will address the immediate needs of disaster-affected populations and communities by restoring communication and transportation links cut off by the flooding. It will also enhance rule of law in the affected areas by enabling local authorities to provide better security to the people.
As further requirements are identified, DFAIT will consider how best to provide operational support to the Government of Pakistan. This could include the provision of boats, tents, and equipment for life support, water purification, and communications for use by the police and government responders in the region. Any additional support will be determined in consultation with the High Commission in Islamabad and NATO. An officer from DFAIT's Stabilization and Reconstruction Task Force is being deployed to the Canadian High Commission in Pakistan to assist in project implementation and assessment of further needs.
