Achi news desk-
Foreign aid groups are welcoming the federal Liberal government’s return to a policy of increasing humanitarian and development spending every year, while calling for a plan to push allies to reverse the global decline in aid.
“This was a good moment for Canada to step forward and show global leadership by making this commitment of additional humanitarian money,” said Kate Higgins, head of Collaborative Canada, which represents more than 100 non-profits.
The Liberals pledged in their budget Tuesday to increase humanitarian aid by $150 million in the current fiscal year and $200 million the following year.
International Development Minister Ahmed Hussain would not confirm the total amount of Canada’s foreign aid, though Higgins put it at just over $7 billion this year, and $7.2 billion next year.
“We can talk about the details at another time, in terms of getting the numbers out. What I can tell you because the budget has just been presented, is that we are very happy with the fact that our government is doubling international aid,” Hussain said in an interview on Wednesday.
The Liberals faced ongoing criticism from the aid sector a year ago when they earmarked $6.9 billion in funding for development and humanitarian needs, a 15% drop from the previous year.
The Trudeau government has pledged to increase foreign aid every year they are in office, but the Liberals said they made extraordinary increases in aid spending to account for the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, eventually exceeding $8 billion.
Global Affairs Canada was asked to confirm whether the total aid amount for this year is indeed $7 billion. Higgins said the government needs to be more transparent in how it reports data.
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The new humanitarian funding comes at what Higgins calls an unprecedented state of need and complexity, with major wars in the Gaza Strip, Ukraine and Sudan, along with conflicts and mass migration crises in Myanmar, Nigeria and Venezuela.
Countries known for their aid spending such as Britain and France have cut back on foreign aid, citing pressures on their domestic economies. UNICEF Canada says nearly a quarter of the world’s children live in or are fleeing conflict zones.
Hussain said Canada’s aid will continue to focus on supporting women and helping them create the conditions for peace.
“When others withdraw, or talk about withdrawing from the world, we redouble our engagement,” he said.
“Our government believes and knows the value of international aid, and the results it provides all over the world, and right here at home. So Canada is shaping a more peaceful, more prosperous and more resilient world.”
The budget also confirms Canada’s promises to push for reform of multilateral financial institutions such as the World Bank. The goal is to help poor countries escape debt traps and the financial burden of catastrophic natural disasters, and instead move in the direction of being able to invest in infrastructure that is more resilient to climate change.
On Tuesday, Cooperation Canada and other aid coalitions called on Ottawa to use next year’s G7 presidency to push some of the most powerful countries on the planet to return to increasing foreign aid.
The G7 has countries such as the US, Japan and Germany sending ministers to meetings throughout the year in the host country, culminating in a leaders’ summit.
That means Ottawa can use its power now to start pushing countries to increase their aid funding in 2025, and get the G7 to pay more attention to crises beyond Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Higgins said.
“We will push the government to really look at the breadth and scope of the humanitarian crisis around the world.”
Hussain did not say whether Canada planned to push its G7 peers for aid, instead slamming the Conservatives with a “reckless” pledge in February to divert an unspecified amount of “wasteful” foreign aid to military spending. The Tories did not respond to an interview request.
NDP foreign affairs critic Heather McPherson said the increase in humanitarian aid does not make up for the cuts made by the Harper and Trudeau governments in recent years.
“We are not meeting the moment,” McPherson said, considering famine-like conditions in Haiti, Sudan and Gaza.
She noted that Canada is still not meeting the global target for rich countries, set by former Prime Minister Lester Pearson as 0.7% of gross national product for foreign aid. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development puts Canada’s spending last year at about half that target, at 0.38%.
“The world needs Canada to pay its fair share, and it needs Canada to play a significant role,” McPherson said.
She also argued that it was “short-sighted” for the Liberals to increase military spending at a much higher rate than aid or diplomacy. The NDP supports more defense assistance for Ukraine, but Canadian diplomats and aid workers can help reduce the drivers of crises around the world, McPherson said.
“We have such a strong and capable international development sector that can achieve so much. We have such strong diplomats who could achieve so much, if only they were given the tools.”
© 2024 The Canadian Press
