Mr. Chair and honourable members, thank you.
I am pleased to be here today to speak to you about how Canada supports vulnerable groups in inaccessible regions.
My name is Heather Jeffrey. I am the director general for international humanitarian assistance at Global Affairs Canada.
I will offer a few initial comments, guided by the topics which the committee submitted, and will then be pleased to respond to your specific questions.
Global Affairs Canada welcomes this study, as it addresses a grave humanitarian challenge.
Refugees, internally displaced persons, women, children, the elderly, and the disabled are just some of the groups who may have specific needs during times of crisis. While refugees are afforded specific rights and protection under the refugee convention, other vulnerable groups, like IDPs, remain the responsibility of their national governments. However, all persons who are affected by humanitarian crises and have identified needs are eligible to to receive humanitarian assistance.
Canada channels its support for humanitarian action through an established international humanitarian response system. In situations where international actors do not have a strong presence, support can often be provided to and through local humanitarian actors, including national Red Cross and Red Crescent societies.
Humanitarian actors work to save lives, alleviate suffering, and maintain the dignity of crisis-affected populations. They provide assistance on the basis of identified needs alone, giving priority to the most urgent cases of distress and making no distinctions on the basis of nationality, race, gender, religious belief, class, or political opinions.
The assistance provided is specific to the needs of the crisis-affected populations and can include food assistance, water, shelter, protection, health services, education, and other activities. In cases of protracted displacement we also support efforts to find durable solutions and facilitate the transition of displaced persons away from dependency on aid towards an increased resilience and self-reliance. For example, Canada has provided support to the United Nations Refugee Agency to locally integrate former Angolan and Rwandan refugees in Zambia.
Humanitarian actors play a critical role in providing assistance to vulnerable groups in hard-to-reach areas. By operating in accordance with the humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, and independence, they are able to engage in dialogue with all parties to a conflict to gain acceptance for their activities and access to otherwise inaccessible populations.
At the recent World Humanitarian Summit held in Istanbul, Turkey, Canada spoke strongly about the ongoing significance of humanitarian principles and the critical role that principled humanitarian action plays in facilitating the provision of assistance to those with the greatest needs, especially women and girls.
We recognize, however, that negotiating humanitarian access can be challenging. There are often many parties to a conflict. As the number of armed non-state actors fragments and proliferates, even well-established humanitarian partners can face difficulty gaining and maintaining acceptance for their activities. To this end, Canada also engages diplomatically to address situations of concern. We do so on a bilateral basis as well as in multilateral settings. Canada consistently calls upon all parties to armed conflict, both state and non-state actors, to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law.
One example of Canada's diplomatic engagement is our participation in the International Syria Support Group. The ISSG is co-chaired by the U.S. and the Russian Federation and includes all regional actors as well as Iran and Saudi Arabia. Securing humanitarian access is a central commitment for the ISSG. The members of the group use their influence with all parties on the ground to work together in coordination with the United Nations to help ensure humanitarian access to all people in need throughout Syria, particularly in all besieged and hard-to-reach areas. Across Syria about 5.5 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance in hard-to-reach or besieged areas. Of that number, close to 600,000 are in 18 besieged areas. As of June 23, 2016, 16 of those 18 besieged areas had been reached since the ISSG began its work in February.
The United Nations and its membership, and particularly the UN Security Council, must also demonstrate a sustained commitment to protecting civilians and to meaningfully respond when flagrant violations of international law occur. Within the UN system Canada strongly supports actors, including special representatives, rapporteurs, and the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, to advocate for civilians.
Where problems persist, states can be compelled by the Security Council to take measures to facilitate assistance to civilian populations. In July 2014, for example, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2165, authorizing UN agencies to deliver cross-border humanitarian assistance in Syria by notifying, but not requiring the consent of, the Assad regime. Further resolutions have extended this mandate until January 2017. Since the beginning of the operation, 337 convoys from 7 agencies have provided food assistance to more than 2.8 million people, non-food relief items to 2.3 million people, and water, sanitation, and hygiene supplies to 2.1 million.
In conclusion, while humanitarian actors can and do make a real difference in the lives of people affected by humanitarian crisis, ongoing challenges remain. Canada will continue to support principled humanitarian action and to advocate for unimpeded access to all populations in need.
Thank you very much for your time this morning and I would be pleased to answer any questions.