Canadian aid organizations respond to Israel’s Gaza aid suspensions

 

The news cycle these days is nuts. Who can keep up? No sooner is there one major breaking story than it is replaced a day later by another one or more—and so on. Soon, we don’t even remember the item that made us angry or upset. 

That’s what happened with the decision on Dec. 30 by the government of Israel to suspend 37 aid groups from working in Gaza, including Oxfam Quebec. 

Who even remembers that now that the president of Venezuela has been kidnapped, the U.S. has been threatening to invade Greenland, the ICE raids in Minneapolis and protests in Iran. 

I didn’t forget, nor did Canadian Affairs. Click here to read why some aid organization leaders think the new rules from the Israeli government violate humanitarian principles, and how they think the suspensions are going to harm people in need in Gaza. 

Photo above from Oxfam.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A friendly letter to Global Affairs after the budget cuts

Image
As Global Affairs ponders the future of international assistance during a time of shrinking budgets, Nicolas Moyer, CEO of Cuso International, and a self-described “old friend,” has some thoughts about how it can do better.   This includes being quicker to make decisions, streamlining administrative processes, finding a clear sense of direction and showing Canadians what their tax dollars are doing (sharing stories of success).   “I must also be candid,” he said. “Too often, the extraordinary work you do is held back by slow decision-making, costly administrative processes and a lack of clear direction. “When approvals drag on for months, when programs are spread too thinly across the globe, or when projects end before results can take root, Canada’s impact is less than it should be. “And when you don’t show Canadians clearly what their tax dollars are achieving, public confidence falters.” Read his letter in Canadian Affairs.
Read more

Canadian relief and development organizations express concern about aid cuts, see opportunity in government's trade agenda

Image
Canadian relief and development organizations are expressing concern and disappointment with the federal government’s decision to cut the country’s foreign aid budget, saying the cuts couldn’t have come at a worse time when global instability is increasing, human rights are increasingly under threat and humanitarian needs are at an all-time high.   They note the cuts to “soft power”—aid—are coming at a time when Canada is pouring more money into defence—“hard power.” This despite evidence that it costs less to prevent conflict than to respond to needs caused by it after it happens.   They also note that aid and development should not be seen as charity, but as something that can support Canada’s overall trade and investment strategy. Read more about this in Canadian Affairs. Photo above:  Secretary of State Radeep Sarai (centre) walks with recipients of Canadian foreign aid in Ghana.
Read more