Canadian government matching donations for humanitarian efforts in Gaza, West Bank
The federal government announced Friday that it will match up to $10 million in donations to the Humanitarian Coalition’s relief fund for Gaza and the West Bank.
The Humanitarian Coalition — a group of 12 Canadian aid organizations that includes World Vision and Oxfam — launched a campaign earlier this week to raise funds for humanitarian efforts in the Palestinian territories.
The government will match donations to the Humanitarian Coalition and its members retroactively from Oct. 7 until Nov. 12.
“Funds raised through the generosity of Canadians will help deliver life-saving services to innocent civilians such as child protection, shelter, emergency food and nutrition assistance, as well as necessary water, sanitation, health and medical services,” a news release from Global Affairs Canada said.
Oversight procedures are in place to ensure aid does not end up in the hands of Hamas, the release said. The government previously allocated millions of dollars toward UN and Red Cross relief programs for Gaza and the West Bank.
The government frequently matches donations for humanitarian efforts during times of crisis. Most recently, Ottawa pledged to match donations meant to help relief efforts in Morocco following September’s devastating earthquake.
The announcement comes as Israel edges closer to a full ground invasion of the Gaza Strip.
Israeli forces have been bombarding the strip since the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks that triggered the latest crisis.
A major humanitarian crisis is now underway in the Hamas-controlled Palestinian territory of Gaza, home to 2.3 million people who face food, water and fuel shortages.
The Palestinian Red Crescent, the main emergency service in Gaza, said it was cut off from its operations room in the strip because of the internet blackout. It said landline and cellular communications also have been cut off.
While much of the focus has been on Gaza, violence has also been surging in the West Bank in recent weeks.
