Evidence of meeting #10 for Foreign Affairs and International Development in the 41st Parliament, 2nd session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was syria.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Acting Director General, Non-proliferation and Security Threat Reduction Bureau, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
Weapons of mass destruction?
Acting Director General, Non-proliferation and Security Threat Reduction Bureau, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
So far, chemical weapons were really the most pressing threat because we had clear indications. You followed what happened to the history on which my director general briefed this committee in December. That was urging the destruction of weapons of mass destruction, to make sure that they disappeared from Syria.
The International Atomic Energy Agency has already provided reports on some suspicion of a nuclear facility that could have been built in Syria. That has been done years ago. So far, there have been measures taken by the government in Syria—again years ago—to comply with its obligations in terms of nuclear. The IAEA provides regular reports on that, but it is not, I would say, a concern as important as chemical weapons.
In terms of cluster munitions, as I just said, they might have cluster munitions, but they don't belong to the weapons of mass destruction category.
Conservative
Nina Grewal Conservative Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC
One of the unfortunate consequences of the ongoing conflict in Syria is the thousands of innocent people forced to flee from their homes and take refuge either in internal refugee camps or in neighbouring countries. The politics of refugee camps are quite complex and they put a great deal of stress on host countries.
What is the situation concerning refugee camps and how are the host countries dealing with the strain of handling so many refugees? Can you tell us a little bit more about that?
Conservative
Director, Middle East and Maghreb Political Relations Division, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
It's certainly a concern for us. It's been pressure on Jordan. A lot of countries have been giving a lot of money to help stabilize the situation in the refugee camps.
Director General, International Humanitarian Assistance Directorate, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
Perhaps it's very important to add as well that the majority of the refugees are not in refugee camps. They are really living with host communities and with host families, which perhaps is a plus because it means that the refugees are not all located or warehoused in one area, but they're spread throughout entire communities.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Dean Allison
Thank you very much.
I'm going to turn it over to Madame Laverdière and Mr. Dewar, for five minutes.
NDP
Hélène Laverdière NDP Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC
I will be brief.
Ms. Norton, in your presentation you spoke briefly about the results that have been seen when it comes to access for some humanitarian partners. You invited us to ask you questions about this. I would like it if you could talk to us about the results that have been seen. Thank you.
Director General, International Humanitarian Assistance Directorate, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
Thank you for your question.
The last time, my answers in French were not clear. I will answer in English, to ensure that I am understood correctly.
As you all know, through our humanitarian assistance we support the provision of shelter protection, food assistance, health care, basic relief items, and education as well, within and outside Syria. I'm going to give you three examples of results to date because we do have extensive results.
More than 10 million crisis-affected people were provided with access to safe water in Syria in 2013.
Up to 3.8 million people in Syria and more than 2 million refugees in the neighbouring countries received food assistance through the World Food Programme and its partners each month in 2013.
Relief items were provided to 4.86 million people inside Syria in 2013.
We have a lot more examples if you're interested, but they're along that scale and our partners have been able to achieve these results with the help of Canada.
NDP
Paul Dewar NDP Ottawa Centre, ON
To go down that humanitarian assistance path a bit more, one of the really horrific outcomes of this crisis and this conflict has been the effect on children, particularly on girls, as you mentioned in your brief, and it's been mentioned by government...just some money to deal with sexual violence. One of the reports we were hearing, and I certainly heard before Christmas break, was that in the camps in Jordan in particular the girls are very vulnerable because, as you already mentioned, they're not in school, and some are being sold off.
There were some suggestions by some groups that school's one thing, but the other thing that's important is if there could be some cash-for-work programs within the camps that other agencies have involved themselves in, in places of crisis. I thought that made some sense. Who are we working with in particular on the issue of sexual violence? Who are our partners when we're looking at getting into those vulnerable groups, beyond just the education piece? It makes some sense that we would be able to provide whatever work can be put together and some cash-for-work, because obviously some of these families are selling off members of their families for cash. People are buying up young women and taking them out of these camps. I'm wondering if we're working with partners to help protect some of these young girls and women.
Director General, International Humanitarian Assistance Directorate, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
I think in conflict situations we all clearly understand that women and girls really do face greater risks in sexual and gender-based violence. You did mention forced marriage, and of course there's abuse and sexual exploitation. I think the case in Syria is absolutely no exception to that. You've given some very good examples.
The specific areas of concern addressed under what we call the SGBV area, which is sexual and gender-based violence programming, is through our UN and our NGO partners. They are focusing on trafficking, forced and early marriage, domestic violence, and sexual harassment. Our partners are also supporting survivors of SGBV. They offer psychosocial support. They provide medical consultations, legal advice, awareness sessions, counselling training, empowerment courses, and clinical care for sexual assault survivors.
As for the issue of cash-for-work in refugee camps, I was wondering if you were condoning child labour, but I'm assuming you weren't.
Director General, International Humanitarian Assistance Directorate, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
Okay. As you can understand, this is a very sensitive topic when you look at cash-for-work in neighbouring countries, countries where locals might not have employment. So I think our partners try to target this through other means. For instance, Save the Children will set up safe spaces for children to play and make sure they have a place to go where they are safe and where they can play with other children, but also learn and be educated. Those are just a couple of examples. UNHCR, of course, and UNICEF are very active in the refugee camps. As well they offer safe spaces for people if they have concerns to come and report them.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Dean Allison
Okay.
Mr. Schellenberger for five minutes. You can finish off round three.
February 5th, 2014 / 4:45 p.m.
Conservative
Gary Schellenberger Conservative Perth—Wellington, ON
Thank you very much, Chair.
Thank you for your presentations today.
Can you comment on the specific situation of religious minorities in Syria? Does religion in general play a big part in this civil war?
Director, Middle East and Maghreb Political Relations Division, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
The short answer to the second question is yes, increasingly so. We're seeing, increasingly, this becoming a much more sectarian Shia versus Sunni kind of conflict. Certainly with the influx of foreign fighters linked to al-Qaeda and others who are on a religious mission, it's a problem.
The Christian community is concerned about that and is concerned about the risk of having an intolerant Sunni-dominated government, which is the majority population actually in Syria, come out of this whole conflict, and are worried what that would mean for them. I wouldn't want to say that much of the Syrian Christian community have allied themselves with the Assad regime, that's probably too strong, but certainly they are leaning more towards them because of their concerns about this new force being driven in part by a more extremist vision for Syria. So that's a concern, absolutely.
Conservative
Gary Schellenberger Conservative Perth—Wellington, ON
When you speak of democracy, is this what the opposition is fighting about? Are they fighting about democracy? It seems to me there are a lot of the same partners that played in Egypt, and I don't think democracy was the main issue in Egypt. It doesn't seem to have worked out that way. Am I correct in feeling that way?
Director, Middle East and Maghreb Political Relations Division, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
This whole nightmare started with Syrians on the street demanding more rights. They were legitimate democratic demands that they were asking for. There is still a strong force for that even within the more formalized Syrian opposition coalition.
I know what you're getting at. There are elements of the Muslim Brotherhood that are part of the Syrian coalition. Absolutely, there's no question about that. What their democratic credentials are going forward is certainly a question, and it's a question we've had. We've urged very strongly that they become more inclusive, in terms of who is brought into this coalition, in terms of bringing people who have much stronger democratic credentials. They've done that to a degree; to our satisfaction, probably not.
But certainly, assuming this coalition has any influence on where this whole process ends up, there will be a lot of pressure going forward that there be a democratic inclusive system of government and transitional government with democratic orientations. But you're right to be concerned that there are elements within the opposition, on the ground and elsewhere, whose democratic credentials are probably suspect.
Conservative
Gary Schellenberger Conservative Perth—Wellington, ON
Great. Thank you.
Without taking sides, what is the most beneficial thing that could be done for those displaced, both inside and outside the borders of Syria? I know we've heard education, I've heard inoculation, I've heard various things. I know that goes on.
And I know we have some great NGOs working in that area. Are the NGOs restricted to certain areas or are they free to go to most areas to help refugees without helping the fighters first? Do they have to pay a ransom to get into an area to look after people? Is that going on at all?
Director General, International Humanitarian Assistance Directorate, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
If I may, when you speak to the refugees in the neighbouring countries, they all want to go home. The most beneficial thing we could do is allow them the ability to go home with dignity, and the choice to go. But that's not where we're at, and we all understand that.
Whether there are ransoms, I'm not aware of ransoms. Certainly if our partners are leaving from Lebanon to get into parts of Syria, they do talk about the number of checkpoints they have to go through, and going from A to B there can be well over 30 checkpoints.
Conservative
Gary Schellenberger Conservative Perth—Wellington, ON
I'm not talking necessarily of the ones outside Syria; I'm talking about the ones inside Syria.
Director General, International Humanitarian Assistance Directorate, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
That's what I mean. As they're leaving Lebanon, basically going in with a convoy into Syria, they will hit, at times, up to 30 to 40 different checkpoints. And at each point they do have to negotiate access, even though they may have gotten the green light from the Syrian government or from the opposition groups.
The issues of access and security are linked arm in arm and they're very challenging for all of our humanitarian partners. Do they have freedom of access all over the country? No. The Government of Syria has essentially given approval to a certain number of international NGOs to function within the country itself. The Syrian Red Crescent has probably the best access across the country compared to other organizations and that's why it's such a key partner of our partners, like the World Food Programme, as well as the International Committee of the Red Cross and the International Federation of the Red Cross.
The World Food Programme, for instance, works with 18 local or national NGOs, and that is also a way that they're able to access many parts of the country. Now, the north is very challenging and the World Food Programme is doing airlifts into the northeastern governant, but then there are other parts of the country that need to be reached crossing other borders, and there are challenges of freedom of movement for many of our partners in such places.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Dean Allison
Thank you very much.
That ends all of our rounds, but I know there are a couple of questions over here. So if there are any more from the opposition—Marc, that includes you—we can do that.
David, you go ahead, and I know Lois has a question as well.