Subcommittee on International Human Rights Committee on June 21st, 2022

[Denis Trudel, Bloc, Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, QC]

I thank the witnesses very much for being here and for sharing some very touching testimony.

For the benefit of the members of the committee and the groups attending the meeting tonight, I want to name the Tigray Community Montreal, United Tegaru Canada and Justice for Tigray, whose representatives are in the audience.

There has been a lot of talk about the terrible situation in the Tigray region. There is talk of 2 million to 3 million refugees having fled Tigray. Can you tell us about the situation in the refugee camps at the moment?

[Feben Embaye]

The situation in the refugee camps is not much better. It's very dire there as well. They are extremely overcrowded.

The number of refugees in Sudan is anywhere between 60,000 and 80,000, including children who have been separated from their families escaping war. There is very little medication, even in Sudan. There's always flooding. The UNHCR tents have been swept away with the mud. There is little food. They get, maybe, one litre of oil and no protein. I think it's some type of a powder they are given. It's very minimal food.

The situation in Sudan is also very terrible. People there are also dying from medical conditions that are easily treated in the west, like asthma and diabetes. They don't have access to blood pressure medication and things like that in Sudan either. The situation is terrible in Sudan. It's not much better.

That's why we've also been saying that we're pushing for Canada to allow Tigrayan refugees from Sudan and elsewhere to come to Canada. It would be the same as they have done for the Ukrainians and Syrians.

I can pass it to some of my colleagues.

[Gugsa Werkneh]

The situation, as you said, is that there is no treatment. There is no opportunity.

The biggest problem is not only the food and medication. It is the trauma, because there are no experts to deal with the trauma. Most of these kids are separated from their moms and dads. They're kids, and they saw their moms and dads killed in front of them. When they went through the hardship across the desert, they had nothing to look for. That is really an unbelievable situation, as you would expect, or as your could imagine, particularly from this point of view.

We went to foreign affairs and presented the situation. They promised us that we would deal with Immigration Canada. It has been over a year and we still haven't heard anything. We haven't been called there. We have presented the situation three times and nothing has happened.

Sometimes you think, “Is this the Canada I know?” You are pushed to think like that. Is this the Canada I know? Is this the Canada where I live? It pushes you to think about that. Is the way I'm treated here inequality or inequity? Is this really true, or is there something wrong?

Sometimes it is unbelievable, to be honest.

Thank you.

[Kidane Gebremariam]

I think the refugee crisis involving Tigrayan refugees is so horrific. Most of them, as my colleague said, are in the Sudan, and they went through a horrific journey. There was trauma. That's why we have an organization called the Tigrayan-Canadian Immigration Association, and it has made proposals to the immigration minister. Unfortunately, it has been more than two months, and we have heard nothing about it.

That's why we are asking you to support us, so we can use the same opportunities that have been provided for Syrians, Afghans and Ukrainians. There must be equal opportunities, because we are Canadians. We pay taxes and deserve the same kind of treatment.

I am glad that Canada has done a lot for the Syrians, Afghans and Ukrainians. We really appreciate that, but why not for the Tigrayans, who are really suffering?

[The Chair, Liberal, Sameer Zuberi]

Could we have just have your concluding remarks?

You have about 20 seconds.

[Alemash Tekie Berhane]

The only thing I would add is that, for two months or more, they didn't receive any food aid, so the Tigrayan community had to contribute money to help them survive. I just wanted to add that point.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sameer Zuberi]

Thank you.

As an informational note, we're waiting for our second-panel witness to arrive. If he doesn't arrive, we are going to continue with the second round. For those who were slotted for a second round, you might get it.

Finally, in this first round, we have Ms. McPherson, from the NDP.

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

First of all, I want to start by saying, thank you so much. You came here tonight expecting to support your community and the witnesses we had planned. After hearing your testimony, we couldn't have had a better panel if we had planned it. Your outlining of the concerns of your community, the concerns of what is happening in Tigray, has been really phenomenal. Your community should be very proud of the way you are representing it. It's really impressive, and thank you for that.

Thank you for being so clear. I have so many notes, and I know exactly what the next steps need to be, because of your testimony. We need to seriously look at Canada's bilateral aid to Ethiopia. We know that Ethiopia is one of our biggest recipients of bilateral aid.

In 2021, I wrote to Minister Gould at the time, and told her that we needed to stop sending humanitarian aid to Ethiopia until we could guarantee that the aid was being used for all citizens. That is fundamental. If the aid is not being used to solve the crisis, and it is in fact, as you say, being used to fuel the crisis, that is a very severe problem.

The other one is the example of sexual violence. When you tell me those stories of the sexual violence being perpetrated on Tigrayan women, I know that my colleagues and I get goosebumps. It is horrifying to hear that this is happening to women around the world.

That's where I'd like to start. From what you've heard and what you know, can you explain the war crimes and how this is being used? I don't want you to feel that you have to be explicit, but this is the situation we need to hear more of. We need to hear how women are being targeted. Women are being used as victims of war crimes, and I'd like to give you some more space to do that, if I could.

[Feben Embaye]

Thank you.

The devastating part of the story is that it's not only women. It's also very young children. There is documented evidence of children as young as eight years old being raped. It's not only young girls. Nuns are also being raped. Soldiers go into homes or churches and attack very young children. They attack members of the church and clergy. It's all very psychological. It's not only the physical aspect I want to point out. It's very psychological. These people are being used to break the morale of the Tigrayan people. They see nuns being raped. Religion is very important to the Tigrayan people, so when they see this, it is something that breaks down their morale.

Like I mentioned, there are so many stories of young women and girls, and even very elderly women, being raped by these soldiers and used for sexual slavery. There are so many accounts of women taken from their homes. These soldiers go into ordinary homes, where they kill the men and abduct the women. They take them to a remote area as sexual slaves. There are stories—I apologize, because this is very graphic, but it's very important these stories get told—of women who are so significantly and severely raped that their spinal cords are injured. They are just thrown in the streets like trash and paralyzed. They can't move. They can't do anything until they are found by whoever is crossing the street.

There are women with long-lasting injuries. They have issues urinating. They have rectal issues, because objects are being inserted into them. It is so horrible. It's very graphic. It's very barbaric. This is just everyday life for the Tigrayan women. They don't have any medication, as well. Many of them are obviously being impregnated. There is no such thing as abortion, because doctors are not able to work. One of them mentioned that doctors are dying themselves—they are starving. These women don't have access to medication. They don't have any antivirals to protect themselves from things like HIV.

Thank you.

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

When I hear that testimony, I recognize the trauma that we've already heard about and the need for Canada to support the Tigrayans as they recover from this, because there will be long-term trauma. We have a feminist international assistance policy. From my perspective, we cannot say we have a feminist international assistance policy, then provide bilateral aid to a country responsible for some of these crimes.

From my perspective, the urgent thing is making sure those humanitarian corridors open, so aid can get to the Tigrayans urgently—medical aid and food aid. The food crisis happening in Ukraine and around the world is desperately going to have impacts in Ethiopia and needs to be dealt with. The IRCC needs to make sure there is an immigration scheme for Tigrayans to come here. I heard you very clearly. What you need to hear is that Tigrayans can come here, the same way Ukrainians are given that option, the same way Afghans are given that option, and the same way Syrians are given that option.

Is there anything else you would like to make sure is very clearly highlighted, before we end this first round?

Perhaps I could start with Ms. Berhane.

[Alemash Tekie Berhane]

The communication system...everything is blocked. I never hear from my mother. I don't know if she is alive. It's been almost two years.

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

I'm so sorry. That must be so hard.

[Alemash Tekie Berhane]

There are no phones or banks.

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sameer Zuberi]

Thank you for that. That was extremely powerful. We wish your mother and your whole family well—all of your families.

We will now suspend for a few minutes. We have other witnesses we intended to bring in through Zoom. We're going to patch them in through the phone. We'll need to ask everybody to keep the volume as it is right now—very low—because we're going to do a test. Before we do that, though, and if it's successful, we're going to stick with the witnesses who are on the phone. You can stay in the front, though. You don't need to shuffle if you don't want to.

We'll do that now. Please keep the volume down for about two minutes. I'll suspend.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sameer Zuberi]

We'll go back to the panel we have here. Thank you for not moving.

We'll go to a second round of four minutes. This will be our final round. Unfortunately, for the witnesses we tried to patch in, just now, via phone, the sound quality wasn't good enough, so we'll continue with this.

I will go back to the Liberal Party.

Mr. Sidhu, you have four minutes.

[Maninder Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton East, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I want to thank all our witnesses for being with us here today. We've heard some very tough testimony about families, young children, women and especially girls. When you share this very vivid testimony, I think it's upon all of us to take it in and really think about humanity. You think about what we can do as a country and think about what we can do as Canadians.

I want to send my deep appreciation and condolences as well to the community. Know that we are with you.

As I understand it, the conflict is quite complex, and I am trying to fathom the way forward. I want to hear more from our witnesses about what a true resolution of the conflict looks like. What role does the international community play in this, whether that's Canada, the U.S.A. or the UN? I want to hear more thoughts in terms of resolutions looking forward.

The floor is open to any witnesses who may want to chime in on the phones.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sameer Zuberi]

Those on the panel can also join, please.

You have about three minutes.

[Feben Embaye]

I did get information from some of the panellists who were supposed to be here. This is a perfect question for them, so I can explain how the international community, specifically Canada, can help with that.

We need to ask the Canadian government to urge the Ethiopian government to immediately facilitate safe, sustained and unhindered access for humanitarian access in all parts of Tigray.

SDIR should ask the Government of Canada to urge the Ethiopian government to immediately restore basic services, including banking, communications and electricity to Tigray, and to impose a comprehensive arms embargo on Ethiopia and Eritrea that covers the direct and indirect supply, sale and transfer, including transit and transshipments of all weapons, ammunition and military equipment.

Also, lend support to the UN International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia and its mandate as set out in the Human Rights Council Resolution S-33/1, of 2021, including its continued investigations and annual reports to the Human Rights—

[The Chair, Liberal, Sameer Zuberi]

Could I ask you to slow down? They're doing interpretation.

[Feben Embaye]

Yes, I'm so sorry.

Additionally, SDIR should ask the Government of Canada to press the Ethiopian government to co-operate fully with the commission and provide the experts with full access to carry out their work as their original mandate.

Press the Ethiopian government to permit independent, international humanitarian agencies access to all detention facilities, official and unofficial, without prior notification.

Finally, facilitate and assist in the establishment of robust, independent monitoring processes and systems that are designed to ensure that the aid not be diverted or withheld from Tigray, and establish a coordinating task force to ensure the design of the programming related to address the particular challenges and needs in Tigray with regular reporting on the humanitarian situation in Tigray.

Thank you.

[Maninder Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton East, ON]

Thank you for sharing that.

I'm not sure if there is anybody on the phone lines who wants to—

[The Chair, Liberal, Sameer Zuberi]

We only have those of us in the room.

[Maninder Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton East, ON]

You mentioned quite an extensive list of resolutions that you'd like to see, whether that's through banking, telecommunications or humanitarian work.

What would be your top three out of those? It's easier for us as committee members to understand what you would like to see on this.

[Feben Embaye]

I would say that the absolute main issue would be access to humanitarian aid into Tigray because, without that, people are dying by the second. That would be the absolute main and the number one thing, if I can prioritize it to one thing. We need immediate humanitarian access into Tigray.