Foreign Affairs Committee on Oct. 16th, 2012

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Thank you very much.

Mr. Cotler.

[Irwin Cotler, Liberal, Mount Royal, QC]

Perhaps in the interests of equity, not equality, I might be able to put one question in this round.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

You'll have to ask your colleagues to see if.... Sure. You can have one question.

[Irwin Cotler, Liberal, Mount Royal, QC]

I have one question, which arises out of Mr. Bailey's comments and his response to other questions.

In Libya the international community intervened when there was a threat of impending mass atrocity, through the UN Security Council and by invoking the “responsibility to protect” doctrine. With regard to Syria, even though there have been a series of recurring mass atrocities, with some 30,000 civilians in Syria already dead, the international community has not intervened—and we know why, in terms of the UN Security Council—and it has acted almost as if the R to P doctrine does not exist.

My question is this. As you put it, the Friends of Syria has effectively replaced the UN Security Council. What is stopping the Friends of Syria from invoking the R to P doctrine? It seems a threshold for that purpose has long ago been reached. Why can't they move for more protective initiatives in the form of safe havens, and even towards considering a no-fly zone, given the massive and indiscriminate aerial bombardment and the like? In other words, why is there not a more proactive position by the Friends of Syria invoking an R to P doctrine?

[Mark Bailey]

You're of course a far greater expert on international law than I am, Mr. Cotler, but I think probably everyone would be very reluctant to take any steps down that road in the absence of a UN Security Council mandate. It's the only international body that has this kind of responsibility to mandate the use of force in any particular situation that might envelop this. If we say we're going to put together some kind of coalition of the willing or some new kind of effort in the absence of a UN Security Council mandate, many countries, including Canada, would want to think carefully about the kind of precedent we would be setting with that.

[Irwin Cotler, Liberal, Mount Royal, QC]

There was a precedent for that in Kosovo. We did do it.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Thank you very much once again, Mr. Bailey.

Ms. Norton, thank you for extending some extra time to us as well.

We're going to suspend very quickly to get our witness from the Canadian Red Cross in.

Once again, thank you. We'll be back in a minute.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

If I could have all the members back, we're going to get started.

I want to welcome Ms. Johnson, who's here today on behalf of the Canadian Red Cross. She is the director general of international operations and movement relations.

You also have a colleague with you. Would you introduce your colleague? I realize you'll be making the remarks, but if you could introduce your colleague before you get started, that would be great.

We're going to turn it over to you for your opening remarks at this time.

[Susan Johnson, Director General, International Operations and Movement Relations, Canadian Red Cross]

Thank you very much. I'm very pleased to be here this morning with the committee. Indeed I am here with a colleague, Stéphane Michaud, who's our head of operations for emergency response.

I listened to the earlier discussion you had with colleagues from Foreign Affairs and CIDA. I think you've already heard quite a bit about the Syrian Arab Red Crescent. In fact, a good part of my remarks will paint for you a portrait of the capacity and the nature of the Red Cross/Red Crescent in the country.

I will make remarks that focus on four different areas. I'll talk a bit about the humanitarian situation on the ground. Let me just say, of course, that we're very aware that the humanitarian situation is played out against a very complex political dynamic. As the Red Cross, we're not here to speak about that. We will focus our remarks and any discussion we might have with you on what we know in terms of day-to-day experience, in terms of the humanitarian situation. I will update you as to the humanitarian activities of the Red Cross and Red Crescent movement inside Syria. I'll make a couple of remarks about the broader regional impact, and then lastly a few words on humanitarian challenges we face, as we speak.

It might be helpful for the committee for me to take a minute and remind you of the composition and mandate of the Red Cross/Red Crescent, because already you've heard about the International Committee of the Red Cross, the international federation, and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent. You may well be wondering what all these different actors are. We are the largest and longest-standing humanitarian network in the world. We're non-partisan, and our mandate is to provide assistance to people affected by conflicts and natural disasters in a neutral and impartial manner, independent from governments.

The Red Cross/Red Crescent movement is made up of nearly 100 million members, volunteers, and supporters in 187 countries where there are national societies around the world. Our movement has three main components: the national societies themselves in these 187 countries; the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies; and lastly, and importantly, the International Committee of the Red Cross.

At the local level, in 187 countries there is a Red Cross or Red Crescent national society. Just like here in Canada with the Canadian Red Cross, each national society works within its own borders to respond to the humanitarian needs of the people who are affected by disasters or conflicts in its country. This is certainly the case in Syria, where the Syrian Arab Red Crescent is extremely active. Many national societies offer programs such as first aid training, community disaster preparedness, or health services. You can see how these activities go a long way to responding to humanitarian crises.

All 187 national societies are members of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, which coordinates support to national societies in need.

The third component is the International Committee of the Red Cross. It is an organization that focuses on protecting the lives and dignity of victims of armed conflict and other situations of violence, as well as providing humanitarian assistance.

In Syria and around the region, all of the components of the Red Cross/Red Crescent movement are active and operational.

Before I go on, I just want to underline the relationship between the Canadian Red Cross and our own government. We are fully operational here in Canada as a national society, and we work very closely with Canadian public authorities to fulfill our mandate in Canada. For our international operations, we enjoy a long-standing relationship with the federal government. This was underlined in June of this year when we signed a memorandum of understanding for a strategic partnership with the Canadian International Development Agency. This MOU will allow the Canadian Red Cross, in partnership with CIDA, to focus on developing national societies in other countries so they're better able to respond to disasters and conflicts; it will improve our own capacity to respond quickly and effectively to humanitarian crises; and it will increase public awareness of Canadian humanitarian efforts.

Now let me turn to the actual humanitarian situation on the ground in Syria. We're monitoring the situation in Syria and in the region very closely. We are in regular contact with all of our Red Cross/Red Crescent partners, including the International Committee, the International Federation, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, and the other Red Cross and Red Crescents in the region, as well as other humanitarian actors.

The Syrian population in cities and rural areas is facing a very stark situation. The very nature of the conflict is such that it's conducted in the streets, in the homes, and in the public buildings of neighbourhoods and communities.

People are living in a context of constant fear and insecurity, lawlessness, and increased criminality, and with a lack of access to the basic necessities of life: food, water, medicine, and medical services. Some Syrians have not been able to work for months. Many are unable to pay their rent or buy basic supplies for their families. The unemployment rate in certain parts of the country has quadrupled.

Because of the violence and worsening conditions, there are now over 2.5 million people in need of humanitarian assistance, including 1.2 million Syrians who have lost their homes and have been forced to move. More than 336,000 Syrians have been forced to seek refuge in neighbouring countries and in North Africa.

These hardships will only increase with the approaching winter. We can expect fuel shortages, the breakdown of heating and electrical systems, and a lack of basic water and sanitation.

Basic infrastructure in the country continues to be targeted and destroyed as part of ongoing hostilities. Hospitals in various areas continue to operate but have suffered from loss of power, water, and supplies, including medical staff. The WHO has recently assessed that 67% of public hospitals have been affected, and fully half of the ambulances in the country have been attacked. Distribution of pharmaceutical products has been disrupted and there are shortages of essential drugs.

Thankfully, it is still possible to move relief supplies from Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey into the country; however, we are often facing challenges in distributing relief items due to the very volatile security conditions. Having said that, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, the International Committee, and others are still active in many parts of the country, in both government- and opposition-controlled areas.

The Syrian Arab Red Crescent is playing a very critical role in Syria today. The Red Crescent is the largest national humanitarian organization in Syria. It was created in 1942 and is present across the country, with the headquarters in Damascus, a branch in each of the 14 governorates, and a number of additional sub-branches.

The Red Crescent is fully committed to the Geneva conventions and is governed by the fundamental principles of the Red Cross movement. It has a strong history and a proven track record in emergency health and primary health care, in disaster preparedness, in response and risk reduction, and in providing psychological support. It has approximately 10,000 volunteers trained to offer its core services, including first aid and ambulance services.

Since the beginning of the tensions in Syria over 18 months ago, the Red Crescent has substantially scaled up its relief operations to meet the growing needs. It is currently distributing food parcels in a very successful manner and is assisting over 850,000 individuals each month. I just note that this may well grow to 1.5 million per month in the coming weeks, as the WFP plans to expand its reach through the Syrian Arab Red Crescent.

The Red Crescent has set up and is expanding its medical and first-aid posts. It has expanded its ambulance services in certain areas. I need to note to the committee that with this tremendous capacity of the Red Crescent Society in-country, reaching all parts of the country, it has not been without its own tragedy. Six of the Red Crescent members have been killed while delivering humanitarian assistance during these hostilities.

The Red Crescent is an organization with many young volunteers. Every day, new volunteers are coming forward, wanting to be part of the Red Crescent effort. To date, the Red Crescent has been able to provide enough briefing and training so that these young volunteers can deliver humanitarian services in a neutral and impartial manner.

The International Committee of the Red Cross continues to provide us with assurances that the Red Crescent is respecting humanitarian principles in delivering assistance. The Red Crescent is also acting as a national coordinator for international assistance and is the implementing partner of many of the UN agencies, as my colleague Leslie Norton shared with you in her remarks earlier. Also, the Red Crescent is a facilitator for other international organizations present in the country.

The International Committee of the Red Cross is also a very important player inside Syria. It's working right now to support the Red Crescent in areas directly affected by the conflict, often conducting its relief operations hand in hand with the Red Crescent Society. The International Committee is supporting medical relief and health services, as well as food distribution. In addition, as you may well know, the International Committee has a particular relationship and responsibility with regard to the Geneva conventions, and this allows it to have direct dialogue with governments.

The ICRC has met with President Assad, as well as the ministers of foreign affairs, the interior, health, and so on, and continues to dialogue with all parties to the conflict, including opposition groups in Syria. This is to advocate for the full respect of international humanitarian law and the protection of civilians and detainees.

On behalf of the International Committee and the whole Red Cross movement's efforts, I would like to thank the Canadian government for the contribution of $1.5 million so far provided to the International Committee earlier this year.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is also active in Syria, assisting the Red Crescent to support displaced and local populations. An emergency fundraising appeal was launched in July this year, seeking $27.2 million to support health, relief, and livelihood activities for 200,000 individuals. To date, this appeal has only covered 60%.

The Canadian Red Cross would also like to thank the recent support of the Canadian government for contributing $2 million to the emergency fund. For our part, the Canadian Red Cross has also provided $175,000 from our own funds.

We are actively monitoring and liaising with many contacts on the ground and we're in regular contact with the Canadian government through CIDA and Foreign Affairs regarding the situation and response.

I'll turn soon to humanitarian challenges, but let me first make a few remarks about the regional impact. As we've already mentioned, and as the colleagues from Foreign Affairs and CIDA mentioned, there are already 336,000 people registered as refugees, or awaiting registration, in the countries around Syria. These include Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, and Iraq. The UNHCR is currently predicting that unless there is a positive breakthrough, the number of refugees will double before the end of the year.

The pressure on local communities and host families in neighbouring countries, and of course on the governments of these countries, is not to be underestimated. It's important to note that there are refugees who are living in actual refugee camps, but there are also many refugees who are living with host families, so we need to have a very nuanced approach in terms of helping the host families and communities, as well as people actually in organized and registered camps.

In each case the national society of the country is playing an active role in assisting refugees, whether or not they're in established camps. In order to respond to this regional dimension, the International Federation launched an appeal in August seeking support, and this appeal has only received 32% of coverage to date. This appeal aims to provide assistance to beneficiaries in Lebanon, Jordan, and Iraq.

To conclude, Mr. Chair, the Red Cross/Red Crescent movement is able to have a wide range of activities in Syria and in the region, thanks in large part to the support of the Canadian government as well as other donor governments. This support has allowed us to provide assistance to those affected by the conflict in Syria and in the region. We are delivering our assistance in full respect of our principles of independence, neutrality, and impartiality. We are in dialogue with both the government and opposition forces.

Our main challenge right now is access. Accessing certain parts of the country is difficult and volatile because of the very difficult security environment. Linked to our security concerns, another important challenge is the actual threat and attack on humanitarian health workers and health facilities. This is a humanitarian issue that is experienced again and again in situations of conflict, and we have recently launched an awareness campaign entitled “Health Care in Danger” to bring more attention to this ongoing humanitarian challenge. I've included information about this campaign in your information packages.

As I mentioned earlier, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent has lost six workers, including the secretary general, who were attacked while performing lifesaving humanitarian activities. Many of their ambulances have been shot at and volunteers have been wounded. These attacks have an immediate impact, and they also create a long-term effect, as it means fewer and fewer people will actually have access to critical medical care. I remind you that attacks on health professionals, volunteers, and health facilities are all violations of international law and are unacceptable, and we call on the Government of Canada to join its voice with ours in calling for full respect of the medical mission.

In conclusion, whichever scenario one subscribes to now, we anticipate humanitarian needs will only increase in the face of the approaching winter months, as the winter's cold weather makes the plight of displaced and vulnerable families that much more desperate.

At the Red Cross it's our job to plan for the worst and be prepared for the unexpected, and we have contingency plans accordingly. We foresee an increased need to respond both inside and outside Syria, and we encourage the Canadian government to provide support to our regional appeal, since there is great need for support for Syrian refugees who have already fled and those who will be fleeing to neighbouring countries.

I hope these brief remarks have provided you with an initial sense of the humanitarian dimensions of the situation, and I look forward to responding to your questions.

Thank you very much.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Thank you, Ms. Johnson.

We're going to start with Mr. Saganash, for seven minutes, please.

[Romeo Saganash, NDP, Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I want to thank the two witnesses as well. I found the presentation very informative.

You said there were 360,000 registered refugees. Could you give us a breakdown of where they are located, which countries they are in?

Could you also tell us what these refugees need the most, where they are currently located? You said that certain areas were difficult to access and that the needs would likely increase. Could you give us some information on that, please?

[Susan Johnson]

Thank you very much for your question.

I will ask my colleague, Stéphane, to give more precise figures and information regarding your question on which refugees may be where and under what circumstances.

Certainly, I think it's important, following the question your colleague asked earlier, to remind you that the majority of refugees are women and children. The majority of refugees are people who have come through extremely difficult situations to even arrive in the other country. Their needs are grave in any one of the situations they are in, be it in host families or in refugee camps in Turkey and other countries.

I will allow Stéphane to give a little bit more precise information to you. Thank you.

[Stéphane Michaud, Senior Manager, Emergency Response for International Operations, Canadian Red Cross]

Thank you for your question.

The figures we have on refugees are from October 5.

If we factor in those registered and those awaiting registration, there were 93,576 refugees in Turkey, 87,140 refugees in Lebanon, 105,166 in Jordan and 36,500 in Iraq. Those figures don't include the 5,000 or so refugees in North Africa, where the registration process is more challenging.

That was the breakdown as of October 5, with a total of approximately 330,000 refugees. As Susan mentioned, that number is expected to hit 710,000. It will probably double. That is our prediction by the end of 2012.

[Romeo Saganash, NDP, Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC]

In late September, there was a news report about a conflict between Syrian refugees and police. I believe it was at the Zaatari camp in Jordan. Could you describe the living conditions of the refugees there and the reasons such a conflict might arise?

[Stéphane Michaud]

I can't speak specifically to that incident in that camp. What I can say is that in Jordan, the majority of refugees are actually not living in camps; they are living with host families.

Whether they are in camps or with host families, it creates added pressure on the limited resources already there. Most conflicts during these population movements usually arise from that increased pressure on the local resources. I can't speak specifically to that incident, but we have seen many indications of that, not only in Jordan, but also in Turkey and Iraq.

[Romeo Saganash, NDP, Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC]

Do I still have time?

Given the current situation in Syria and the destruction that has taken place there, it is likely that many of the refugees will not be able to return home one day, if at all. Has the Red Cross made any long-term plans in terms of how we can help in Syria?

[Susan Johnson]

It is our expectation that there will come a day when the situation in Syria will be stabilized, through whatever process that might be, and people will be able to return home. What's important for us is that while people are inside Syria in the refugee situation or in host families, they are offered the humanitarian assistance that allows them to be living in reasonable conditions throughout this period.

What's also of concern for us is that we are able to work with and preserve the strength of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent such that it is able to continue to be the independent humanitarian actor in its own country that delivers the service it is well known for and that has access throughout the country. When the day comes that the country has returned to some level of stability, we want the Syrian Arab Red Crescent to continue to be a respected humanitarian actor in its country.

[Stéphane Michaud]

If I may add, the current appeal for operations of the Red Cross movement inside Syria of $27.2 million is for 12 months, from June 2012 to June 2013. It's typical that this emergency appeal would be followed by recovery programming. It's revised every three months.

I don't want to go too far on projections, but typically with emergency appeals such as this one, as the situation progresses it evolves into recovery and longer-term programming, assuming there's funding to support that.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Okay. Thank you very much.

We're going to move over to Ms. Brown, for seven minutes, please.

[Lois Brown, Conservative, Newmarket—Aurora, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you very much for being here today.

First of all, I would like to take the opportunity to commend the Red Cross and the arm of the Red Crescent that's active in Syria for the amazing amount of work you're doing. It is very difficult circumstances in which you find yourselves, and yet you're doing a Herculean job. I'd like to say thank you on behalf of Canadians for the work you're doing.

I wonder if you could talk a bit more about the situation inside Syria, as we know it. You talked about the lack of access, but the SARC is building tendrils, if I may say, into the communities, by developing these volunteers.

How are you recruiting those volunteers? What communication does SARC have to find people who are willing to act in a conflict zone that is very risky and there are no confirmations that they'll come back safely?

I wonder if you could talk about that situation a bit. Is there any mechanism for documentation on where people are, who is receiving the assistance, and whether or not there is any safety in that zone for them? Or does that change on a daily basis?

[Susan Johnson]

Thank you very much for your question.

I'll make a couple of remarks, and, Stéphane, if you want to add something, I'll certainly invite you to get into more detail.

Let me start with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent and the nature of the national society even before the conflict. It's very well respected for actually having reached throughout the entire country, and it does have a very active network of existing volunteers, in all of the country. It's not a question of reaching out; it's a question of actually having the capacity and ensuring we are able to continue to support that capacity—the local volunteers, the local branches of the Red Crescent Society.

In terms of volunteers coming forward, one of the remarkable things in situations of crisis—and we've faced the same thing in Canada when we've had a natural disaster, or any kind of situation—is that people spontaneously volunteer. People can see the relevant actor in their community, the humanitarian organization that can actually deliver assistance, that might be delivering assistance to their neighbour, and they want to take action. They want to be part of the solution. They come forward spontaneously. It's not a question of having to look for people, so much as that people are coming forward.

Then you have to be very careful at integrating new volunteers to ensure that they.... They might be very well-intentioned, but do they understand what it means to be wearing the emblem of the Red Cross or Red Crescent? That emblem means very particular things, in terms of neutral, independent, humanitarian action. Ensuring that volunteers understand that, and that they will incorporate that in their behaviour so there can be no accusations of favouritism in the relief distributions or the medical assistance, is important to us.

In terms of the documentation, we are very careful, within the reasonable environment that we're in, to document who is getting assistance. We need to be accountable also for the resources that are put in the hands of the Red Cross family system, so we are monitoring.

We work with beneficiary lists of who is where. Whether it be people who are in a public school and they've taken refuge there...we are able to visit. The distribution is done in relation to the need: how many people are living in this school; therefore, how many relief supplies need to be delivered?

[Lois Brown, Conservative, Newmarket—Aurora, ON]

Ms. Johnson, if I may, when you're talking about the volunteers who are going into these conflict areas, is there any ability to provide them with protection of any sort, or are they taking their lives in their hands when they go into some of these conflict zones?

[Susan Johnson]

The only protection that anybody working for the Red Cross or Red Crescent ever has is the emblem. It's having the T-shirt with the Red Cross or the Red Crescent on it that gives them the protection.

To the extent that it offers protection is in relation to how they and their organizations behave and how their behaviour is understood by the community and by those who hold power or who are contesting power. But it's also the dialogue with authorities. That's why it's so important for us to have contact with the government and opposition forces at all levels. The only protection is that all of these actors understand who we are and what our intention is. Our intention is to deliver humanitarian assistance, neutral and impartial. We can be trusted to do that. To the extent to which they appreciate that, understand that, and can actually achieve compliance with that within their own ranks is what gives us the protection. Part of the difficulty right now in Syria is that there is territory that goes back and forth. It can be very difficult to reach. If we cannot be assured of reasonable safety, if we don't know that people going into an area are going to be reasonably safe, then there are judgments made that we can't travel into a certain area. We can't be everywhere all the time. We're not prepared to put people at tremendous risk if we have a choice. I'm talking about the international workers there as well.

Certainly, it is important for us to have this constant dialogue with all actors in an area and that we do our best to ensure that they understand who we are. Evidently, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent making those same judgments has had six terrible events, with loss of life, and there have been other situations where people have been shot and wounded. What I'm describing is what we strive for and don't always achieve.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Thank you very much.

Mr. Cotler.

[Irwin Cotler, Liberal, Mount Royal, QC]

Jacques Beres, the co-founder of Médecins Sans Frontières, recently returned from Syria. He said that unlike in his previous visits to Homs and Idlib, half the wounded rebel fighters that he treated were non-Syrians. I don't want to suggest that this is necessarily representative of the opposition as a whole. Can you give us some idea of to what extent the Red Cross or other humanitarian groups are finding themselves increasingly treating non-Syrian fighters, and whether this suggests any radicalization within the opposition elements themselves? That's the first question.

Second, is there a need for humanitarian corridors or safe havens to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian and medical assistance, which you said was sometimes difficult and risky, as well as to protect Syrian civilians?