Ottawa, 27 October 2023 –. The Humanitarian Coalition welcomes the Government of Canada’s announcement that it will match, dollar-for-dollar, donations made to its Gaza Humanitarian Emergency Appeal up to a maximum of $10 million. The Humanitarian Coalition is made up of 12 of Canada’s largest international humanitarian agencies and donations made to any of its members will be matched retroactively to October 7, 2023 until the end of the appeal on November 12, 2023.
The Coalition remains united in its call for all sides in the current conflict to protect civilian lives and allow humanitarian aid to reach those in need as quickly as possible.
Facts
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The latest estimates from the United Nations indicate that 7,000 people in Gaza have been killed and over 18,000 are injured. More than one million people have been forced to leave their homes to escape the fighting. Humanitarian needs are also growing in the West Bank.
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Thousands of people living in Gaza, many of them children, face extreme hardships caused by lack of access to food, water and basic sanitation facilities, and the destruction of infrastructure.
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While aid has begun to trickle into the affected areas, it is not enough to deal with the massive humanitarian issues facing Gaza. Now is the time for full-scale relief efforts to take place to avoid a humanitarian disaster.
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The member agencies of the Humanitarian Coalition are active in the region and have connections with local charities and other partners to ensure that funds raised from Canada are spent solely for humanitarian purposes
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Richard Morgan, Executive Director of the Humanitarian Coalition, says: “Today’s announcement by the Government of Canada will double the life-saving work of Humanitarian Coalition members during this critical time. As our past appeals have shown, Canadians are generous in helping others in times of need. We call upon all people of good will to work with us to help the innocent civilians caught in the current conflict, especially children, women, elderly and disadvantaged people in Gaza, who are bearing the brunt of the suffering.”
The following are members of the Humanitarian Coalition: Action Against Hunger, Canadian Foodgrains Bank, Canadian Lutheran World Relief, CARE Canada, Doctors of the World, Humanity & Inclusion Canada, Islamic Relief Canada, Oxfam Canada, Oxfam-Québec, Plan International Canada, Save the Children Canada and World Vision Canada.
Canadians can help provide emergency assistance to people affected by the crisis in Gaza by donating at www.together.ca or by calling 1-855-461-2154.
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The Humanitarian Coalition brings together 12 leading aid organizations to provide Canadians with a simple and effective way to help during major international humanitarian emergencies.
For more information or to request an interview:
Robert Neufeld
bob.neufeld@humanitariancoalition.ca
905-441-2640
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For media inquiries, contact us at 647-517-4563 or media@humanitariancoalition.ca
The Humanitarian Coalition (HC) brings together leading aid organizations to provide Canadians with a simple and effective way to donate during large-scale humanitarian emergencies. The HC also partners with Global Affairs Canada to enable its member agencies to respond to lesser-known small and medium-scale disasters.