Canada will add an additional $15 million to its humanitarian aid package for Lebanon as the conflict between Israel and the Lebanese-based militant group Hezbollah escalates.
International Development Minister Ahmed Hussen says the new funding will help Canada and international aid groups provide food, water, emergency medical care and other aid in Lebanon, but the exact allocation is still being determined. Not yet.
“This conflict is taking a terrible toll on civilians inside and outside Lebanon,” Hussen said at a news conference.
“As of today, Canada has committed $25 million to support the humanitarian response to support the most vulnerable civilians in Lebanon.”
The new $15 million in funding comes on top of the $10 million in aid announced by Hussen in late September.
He said $6 million of the previously announced funds would be divided between the Red Cross and the Humanitarian Coalition, with up to $3 million each contributing to their respective Lebanon aid campaigns.
Similarly, $4 million will be split 50-50 between the United Nations Relief Agency for Palestine Refugees and the World Food Programme.
Canada is also sending relief supplies from its stockpile, including 5,000 blankets and 1,000 hygiene kits.
Hussen said more than 2,000 people were killed in Lebanon, including two Canadians, and thousands of civilians were injured. He said the conflict was putting enormous pressure on local humanitarian organizations.
Hussen said Lebanon is in dire need of food, medicine, shelter materials and emergency medical care.
Global Affairs Canada announced that more than 1,150 Canadians, permanent residents and their immediate families are currently leaving Lebanon on government-chartered flights. He is also said to have helped about 250 people escape from Lebanon from other countries.
The agency said it currently receives fewer than 100 new requests per day for information on departure options, and that all eligible travelers have been offered departures, have already departed, or have several days left. It is said that they will be able to depart within the next few days.
Global Affairs Canada said 205 people left Lebanon on Monday and Tuesday.
As of Oct. 8, more than 25,000 Canadians were registered as living in Lebanon, but the government said the actual number could be higher because registration is voluntary. . Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly has previously said there are an estimated 45,000 Canadians in the country.
On Wednesday, Hussen renewed his call for Canadians to leave Lebanon.
A spokesperson for Immigration Minister Mark Miller said the current focus is on helping Canadian citizens and permanent residents, as well as their children’s spouses, obtain the documents they need to travel.
“Additionally, we are prioritizing the processing of certain types of family-class permanent resident applications,” spokeswoman Renee Proctor said in an emailed statement.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 9, 2024.