Canada is providing $40 million to help Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, amid concern over what it calls a catastrophic humanitarian situation, made worse by an Israeli ground offensive in Rafah.
Ottawa says the funding will support the supply of food, water, emergency medical aid, protective services and other vital assistance in the region.
The money will go to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees, known as UNRWA, as well as trusted partners in the region, including the Canadian Red Cross and other Canadian non-governmental organizations.
The government says Canadian funding also helped establish an International Committee of the Red Cross field hospital in Rafah.
The hospital receives support from the Canadian Red Cross with surgical equipment, medications and supplies, diagnostic equipment, disinfection equipment and staff.
A “disastrous” situation
The need for humanitarian aid became more urgent last week following an Israeli ground offensive in Rafah. Israel explained the attack by saying it had to invade the territory to dismantle Hamas and repatriate the hostages.
“Due to our extreme concern about the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, we not only need to step up our assistance, but we have also made tireless efforts to deliver more humanitarian aid,” said the Minister of International Development, Ahmed Hussen, during an interview.
The $40 million comes on top of Ottawa’s recent $25 million payment to UNRWA as part of a multi-year commitment to help Palestinian refugees in the region, including those living in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and in the West Bank.
UNRWA in the spotlight
Canada had temporarily suspended funding to the agency in January after Israel alleged that some UNRWA employees participated in the Oct. 7 attack in southern Israel, when Hamas and other militants Palestinians killed more than 1,200 people and took around 250 hostage.
The attack sparked the war between Israel and Hamas, which the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said has killed more than 35,000 Palestinians, including fighters. Canada lifted this suspension in March.
UN investigators are looking into allegations against 14 of the 19 staff members. A separate study into UNRWA’s neutrality found last month that Israel had never expressed concerns about anyone on the personnel lists UNRWA had provided to it each year since 2011.
The report says UNRWA has “robust” procedures for enforcing the principle of UN neutrality, but highlights serious gaps, including cases where staff publicly express their political views, from textbooks to “content problematic” are found in agency-run schools where staff unions disrupt operations. He made 50 recommendations to improve UNRWA’s neutrality.
Canada contributed to the report led by former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna. Mr Hussen said he accepted the report’s recommendations and continued to view the organization as the “backbone” of aid in the territory.
“UNRWA’s network, presence, expertise and logistics, as well as its ability to provide direct support to Palestinians inside Gaza, are unmatched,” he said.
“Other organizations are also using their network and contacts to reach vulnerable populations inside Gaza. We support them because they are very effective. »