Evidence of meeting #35 for Foreign Affairs and International Development in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was haitians.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Director, Giving and Impact, International Development and Relief Foundation
Exactly. We do work with Global Affairs on other portfolios, but not the disaster relief in Pakistan.
NDP
Heather McPherson NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
Then no, I didn't misunderstand that. Can you divert funds that you use for development projects in Pakistan to projects that would support victims who are struggling with the flooding? Are you able to do that?
Director, Giving and Impact, International Development and Relief Foundation
No, we are not able to do that.
Director, Giving and Impact, International Development and Relief Foundation
We have not, but under the agreements in place it would also take away from other projects that have taken a long time to put together.
Heather McPherson NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
That's true, yes. That's a good point.
This is one of my concerns when I hear about the matching program. We do want Global Affairs to be flexible. We do want them to be responsive, particularly when we see things of the kind that are happening in Pakistan.
Of course, these are not things that can be predicted to any degree of reliability. We do know that they are responses to the climate crisis and we do know that they will happen again. Where they will happen and with what frequency are of course unknown.
The Government of Canada has also put forward $5.3 billion for climate financing. When you speak about the match and the negative impacts that has had, I look at this $5.3 billion and see that the vast majority of it is going to large multilateral organizations. It is not going to Canadian or local organizations. Do you think that the way that the $5.3 billion is disbursed should also be reviewed and corrected to include more actors within Pakistan and other countries?
Director, Giving and Impact, International Development and Relief Foundation
You hit the nail on the head exactly.
We do feel that a more collaborative and integrated approach would probably be the best-case scenario for the government, because they could see the work being done in multiple areas through several different civil society organizations. It would mean that we could reach some of the goals of the international climate financing a lot quicker.
Yes, I would say that our hope is that there is a review of all of these types of policies that would allow, essentially, more work to be done. Ultimately, that's our goal at the International Development and Relief Foundation. It's to be able to help more people.
NDP
Heather McPherson NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
My career prior to being in politics was in international development. I know that the work on the ground by Canadian and local organizations is so important. It's grounded in solidarity with the community and it's just so important. I do worry when that development pie is not divided equitably to include organizations.
I'll finish by asking you this: What are the impacts on your organization when Canada's Global Affairs efforts focus on multilaterals to the exclusion of Canadian organizations? Obviously, multilateral organizations do great work.
Director, Giving and Impact, International Development and Relief Foundation
Exactly. I don't want to take away from the agencies that are doing fantastic work or from our current partnerships with the government. It just means that we could be doing more. I think, like everyone else in this room, we're just asking the government to work with us to be able to do more.
Director, Giving and Impact, International Development and Relief Foundation
You're welcome.
Liberal
Conservative
Ziad Aboultaif Conservative Edmonton Manning, AB
Thank you.
It's good to see you both, Zeina and Rema, if I may call you by your first names.
Rema, you mentioned the Afghan refugees in Pakistan. Do you have the current numbers of refugees, registered and non-registered?
Representative to Canada, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
Certainly. I gave those numbers in response to your colleague as well. I'm happy to repeat them.
There are 1.3 million registered with UNHCR or the Government of Pakistan. There are 840,000 who carry a card that identifies them as Afghan citizens. A further 800,000 is an estimate of the undocumented Afghans currently residing in Pakistan.
Conservative
Ziad Aboultaif Conservative Edmonton Manning, AB
The ones who are registered are registered with UNHCR?
Representative to Canada, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
Yes, and with the Government of Pakistan.
Conservative
Ziad Aboultaif Conservative Edmonton Manning, AB
Okay.
Geographically, are they located in the flood area?
Representative to Canada, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
Indeed they are. Two-thirds, or close to 70%, are currently residing in what the government has declared “calamity-hit” districts.
Conservative
Ziad Aboultaif Conservative Edmonton Manning, AB
What happened to these people? Where have they been relocated?
Representative to Canada, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
I'm sorry?
Conservative
Ziad Aboultaif Conservative Edmonton Manning, AB
Am I correct that they've been relocated to different areas within the country?
Representative to Canada, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
What's happened is that we, along with our humanitarian partners, have established relief sites. They are places where people can sleep. We've converted other installations or facilities into temporary shelters. We have also distributed forms of temporary shelter such as tents, and other more substantial structures called “refugee housing units”, which we use more for programming than for residing in. We're providing things of that nature to help people with temporary shelter until we can rehabilitate their homes and the infrastructure that's been damaged.
This is all, I should say, under the direct leadership of the Government of Pakistan. The humanitarian organizations working in the country are doing so under the coordination and leadership of the government.
Conservative
Ziad Aboultaif Conservative Edmonton Manning, AB
This current situation of the Afghani refugees within Pakistan during this crisis must affect the Canadian approach also as far as Afghanistan is concerned. As far as financial resources and other resources are concerned, how did that impact Canadian policy on Afghanistan?
Representative to Canada, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
I'm not sure I understand the question. Are you asking me whether Canada has allocated additional funding for the Afghan response or...?
