(Ottawa) Canada has added an additional 15 million to its humanitarian aid program in Lebanon after the escalation of the conflict between Israel and the armed group Hezbollah, based in Lebanon.
International Development Minister Ahmed Hussen said the new funds will help Canadian and international aid groups provide food, water, emergency health care and other assistance in Lebanon, although exact allocations remain to be determined.
“This conflict is taking a terrible toll on civilians in Lebanon and elsewhere,” Hussen told a news conference.
“To date, Canada has committed $25 million to support the humanitarian response to help the most vulnerable civilians in Lebanon.”
The 15 million new funds are in addition to the 10 million in aid announced by Mr. Hussen at the end of September.
He said $6 million of the previously announced funds will be split between the Red Cross and the Humanitarian Coalition to match up to $3 million in donations made to their aid campaigns in Lebanon.
In addition, 4 million will be divided between the United Nations Refugee Agency and the World Food Program.
Canada is also sending relief items from its stocks, including 5,000 blankets and 1,000 hygiene kits.
Mr. Hussen explained that more than 2,000 people were killed in Lebanon, including two Canadians, and that thousands of civilians were injured. The conflict has put considerable pressure on humanitarian organizations on the ground, he said.
Food, medicine, shelter materials and emergency health care are urgently needed in Lebanon, Hussen said.
Global Affairs Canada says more than 1,150 Canadians, permanent residents and members of their immediate families have now left Lebanon on government-chartered flights. The agency also notes that it has helped around 250 people from other countries leave Lebanon.
The agency says it is now receiving fewer than 100 new requests per day for information about departure options, and that all eligible travelers have been offered departures, have departed or may depart in the coming days.
Global Affairs Canada reported Monday and Tuesday that 205 people left Lebanon.
As of October 8, more than 25,000 Canadians were registered as being in Lebanon, but the government has said the actual number could be higher because registration is voluntary. Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly has previously said there are about 45,000 Canadians in the country.
On Wednesday, Mr. Hussen reiterated his calls for Canadians to leave Lebanon.
A spokesperson for Immigration Minister Marc Miller said the current focus is on helping Canadian citizens and permanent residents, as well as their spouses and children, obtain the documents they need to travel.
“In addition, we are prioritizing the processing of certain types of family class permanent residence applications,” spokesperson Renée Proctor said in an emailed statement.