(Ottawa) Shipments of humanitarian aid for Palestinians are reaching Gaza in quantities “lower than ever,” noted Canadian Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussen during a visit to the Egyptian border.
Humanitarian workers he met in Egypt, very close to the Rafah crossing, informed him of the decline, he said during an interview with The Canadian Press from Cairo.
“It’s only happening in trickles compared to the needs there,” he said in English.
The minister, who is due to travel to Jordan on Wednesday, pleaded for a greater flow of food and medical equipment to Gaza after his meeting on Tuesday with representatives of the World Food Program, among others.
“I have seen humanitarian aid being brought (to Egypt) and being stored at several stopping points, but the most important thing is access to the people who need it,” he added.
He mentioned seeing hundreds of trucks parked, waiting to pass. “Some of them have been waiting there for weeks,” he said.
According to him, a “combination” of factors explains these delays, such as “tedious inspection procedures” at different times of the journey, on both sides of the border.
“More help needs to get there and more border crossings need to be opened. […] We are also, of course, pressing for an immediate ceasefire since that will help,” Mr. Hussen continued.
A United Nations resolution backed by Arab countries demanding such a ceasefire was blocked Tuesday by a U.S. veto in the Security Council. The United States, which is working on a rival resolution, has justified its opposition by saying it fears the Algeria-sponsored proposal will harm efforts to reach a deal between the warring parties.
In addition to the absence of a ceasefire, the minister noted that humanitarian organizations are extremely concerned about Israel’s threat to extend its offensive in the south of the Gaza Strip, in Rafah. More than half of the 2.3 million Gazans have taken refuge there.
“We believe that this would have very serious humanitarian consequences and would inevitably result in unimaginable deaths and injuries,” he said, reiterating past statements from Ottawa.
More than 29,000 Palestinians have lost their lives, according to local health authorities in Gaza, since the Israeli response to the October 7 attack carried out by Hamas. This offensive left 1,200 dead and 250 hostages – there would be around a hundred left.
Since the fall, Canada has committed $100 million for humanitarian aid to Gaza.
In late January, Canada suspended further funding to UNRWA, the United Nations agency that supports the Palestinians, in response to allegations that some of its employees played a role in the October 7 attack.
The decision was sharply criticized in the Commons by the New Democrats and the Bloc, but also by a coalition of 20 non-governmental organizations, including the Norwegian Refugee Council and Oxfam.
A government official told The Canadian Press that no planned payment to UNRWA has been withheld by Canada for the moment. It remains to be seen whether a payment of 25 million planned for next spring will be retained.
Asked about the impact of the upcoming funding suspension, Mr. Hussen simply stated that Ottawa is working with the organization “and the broader United Nations family” as an investigation progresses. on the allegations. He said that Ottawa hopes to gain confidence, “which will allow (him) to continue working with them in the future.”
With information from Laura Osman