July 25, 2014 – Brampton
Check Against Delivery
Good morning/afternoon everyone.
Thank you for joining us. I am pleased to be here today, on behalf of Canada’s Minister of International Development and La Francophonie, the Honourable Christian Paradis.
History tells us that in response to great suffering and tragedy, Canada is routinely at the forefront of global humanitarian efforts to alleviate hardship.
We saw it just last fall, when Typhoon Haiyan severely hit the Philippines. Even before that unprecedented storm made landfall, our government was preparing to respond. And by the time we finally knew of Haiyan’s full impact, Canada and Canadians were fully engaged in the relief effort.
Few can better appreciate the hardship that Filipinos faced following the typhoon than the people of Latin America and the Caribbean—an area that is 12 times more exposed to natural disasters than the world average.
People there have had to deal with a wide range of disasters—from hurricanes, to flooding, to drought, to volcanic eruptions. And of course, we all remember the destruction that came when Port-au-Prince and the surrounding areas shook so violently on that January afternoon in 2010.
The earthquake in Haiti ranks as one of the worst-ever natural disasters. It took more than 230,000 lives. It displaced 1.3 million people, destroyed infrastructure and severely disrupted basic services and economic activity.
In the wake of that disaster, Canada was quick to respond.
And we responded for the same reasons we always do: because Canada has a long tradition of generously helping the world’s most vulnerable people. We live up to the values we hold dear, and want to assist friends and neighbours in times of great need.
It is this compassion and generosity that embodies the value that Canada places on international assistance—whether in the form of long-term programming designed to help more people move from poverty to prosperity, or in the provision of emergency humanitarian assistance whenever and wherever required.
We make this commitment for many reasons, chief among them because it is an expression of the values we believe in, and because it is our moral imperative to assist those who are without the means to overcome the challenges they face.
This includes many people living in Latin America and the Caribbean today.
In 2014, countries in that region will continue to be highly vulnerable to a range of natural disasters.
It is, after all, one of the most disaster-prone regions in the world, in terms of recurrence, severity and scope.
But the region is plagued by more than disasters alone. It is also dealing with the humanitarian consequences of a long-standing armed conflict in Colombia and growing violence, particularly in Central America.
There are more than 5.2 million displaced people inside Colombia, and 255,000 Colombian refugees in Ecuador and Venezuela.
And while there exists an ongoing peace dialogue between the Government of Colombia and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, clashes continue in some parts of the country. These cause even more displacement.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees anticipates that the number of asylum-seekers and refugees in Latin America and the Caribbean could increase as a result of the rise of violence by militias and paramilitary actors and the growing incidence of gang violence in Central America.
The key to responding effectively and in a timely manner to humanitarian crises is to have a robust humanitarian system that can mobilize quickly, effectively coordinate humanitarian actors, advocate for the rights of people in need, and promote preparedness and prevention.
Today, I am pleased to announce that the Government of Canada is contributing $350,000 to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs—or OCHA for short—to support its ongoing work with humanitarian and government partners in strengthening their ability to prepare and respond to crises.
OCHA will work with national and international partners to ensure that humanitarian assistance reaches the right people when they need it most.
It will ensure that humanitarian action is based on strong evidence, well-defined strategies and clear priorities.
And it will help to improve decision-making, and make standardized needs assessments just that—standard in all emergency settings.
Finally, Canada’s support will also help the humanitarian community prepare for the 2014 hurricane season and respond when needed.
As Canadians, we often associate humanitarian assistance with disasters. We tend to think it is simply the money we give after a disaster or crisis has occurred—whether its roots be social, environmental or political in nature.
But humanitarian assistance is about more than that. It is also about helping humanitarian actors and affected countries to prepare for and mobilize effectively in response to crises, and to advocate for the rights of people in need.
This contribution is a small step towards that goal. And Canada is proud to make it.
Thank you.
