The plan to match Lebanon's donation to Ottawa is falling apart, says charity – National
A coalition of Canadian charities is sounding the alarm over a lack of aid to Lebanon's humanitarian crisis, as Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly joins her colleagues in a conference to try to help the country deal with the damage caused by Israeli airstrikes.
France hosted a number of countries at the conference on Thursday, saying it has raised US$1 billion in pledges for Lebanon. A fifth of that is for the country's military and the rest is for humanitarian aid.
Canada has already allocated less than $50 million to Lebanon this year, but Canadian charities say they are falling short of a goal set by Ottawa to match donations.
The federal government has pledged to double every dollar the Humanitarian Coalition raises until November 3, to $3 million. Funding goes to charities such as Oxfam, Save the Children and World Vision to provide things like emergency shelter and medical aid.
As of Thursday, the group has raised just $1.825 million of the $3 million Ottawa pledged to match two weeks ago.
The coalition's executive director, Richard Morgan, said the global focus on the politics of the war, rather than the outcome of the massacre, may be the reason for the slow uptake of donations.
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“It's frustrating, to be honest,” Morgan said. “For example, it's on a very small scale compared to how Canadians came together in 2020 after the Port of Beirut explosion.”
He fears that communicable diseases will break out in the overcrowded houses that still need to be winterized. Morgan said donations help with everything from reuniting children with separated parents to providing women with menstrual products. He said a $35 donation feeds an average family for a week.
“Since many Canadians are struggling with many problems here, I think many of us can do something to help people in their hour of need,” she said.
Meanwhile, the ministers met in Paris for a meeting under the theme of supporting the people of Lebanon and the monarchy.
In addition to promises of funding, those who attended the meeting discussed the need for Israel and Hezbollah to respect the 2006 United Nations resolution that called for an end to hostilities and increased security support in the country.
Israel has been striking apartments and areas near hospitals, saying it is looking for Hezbollah assets in order to stop the group's rockets.
Lebanese officials say the airstrikes have killed 2,500 people, while the UN says a million people have been displaced from Lebanon.
On Wednesday, the UN Development Program issued dire economic forecasts for the country, where poverty has already tripled between 2012 and 2022.
The agency estimates that the war could cut 9.2 percent of Lebanon's gross domestic product this year. The country already has the highest number of refugees of any state, since the Syrian civil war.
In Ottawa, the administration warned MPs on Thursday that it will take years to reverse the damage in Lebanon, the Gaza Strip and beyond.
“These are astronomical figures,” Global Affairs Canada chief executive Alexandre Lévêque told the House foreign affairs committee.
“The best thing the international community can do right now is to do everything they can to end the fighting, so that rebuilding can begin.”
© 2024 The Canadian Press
