Mr. Speaker, in response to a) CIDA is providing assistance to trusted humanitarian partners through multilateral, NGO and Red Cross channels. Specifically, the organizations receiving CIDA funds are: the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCR; the United Nations World Food Programme, WFP; the International Committee of the Red Cross, ICRC; Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors without Borders, MSF; Care; Oxfam Canada and World Vision.
In response to b) CIDA funding has been provided in response to appeals for humanitarian operations in Sri Lanka from UN partners and the ICRC and based on proposals from Canadian NGOs. Since January 2009, CIDA has provided $7.5 million in humanitarian funding in Sri Lanka this year to partners for the provision of humanitarian assistance, including food, medical assistance, emergency shelter, protection, clean water, and sanitation services activities.
In response to c) CIDA's International Humanitarian Assistance Directorate reviews emergency appeals issued by multilateral partners and the ICRC and project proposals submitted by NGOs. Following consultations with CIDA’s Sri Lanka geographic program, Canada’s Embassy to Sri Lanka, and other government departments, a recommendation is made to the Minister of International Cooperation for approval. In general, CIDA supports appeals that: provide a thorough assessment of the situation and humanitarian needs; respond to the most critical humanitarian needs in a given situation; come from organizations in a given context that have a proven capacity and are the best placed to deliver effective programming; operate in an environment that is conducive to the delivery of humanitarian activities, for example, questions around security, access of our partners to the affected populations.
In response to d) Potential partners are vetted based on their reputation, capacity to respond and proven track record and appeals and proposals are considered based on their ability to meet the most urgent needs of affected populations.
CIDA staff located in Colombo at the Canadian embassy monitors ongoing projects. CIDA has also deployed one of its humanitarian officers to Sri Lanka to monitor programming and the general situation as it has evolved over the past weeks. CIDA has weekly calls with its NGO partners to get the latest report on their activities and the situation on the ground. CIDA also relies on a range of external sources that report on the situation: UN and Red Cross situation reports, OCHA’s Integrated Regional Information Network, IRIN, media reports, et cetera.
All partners are required to submit final financial and narrative reports demonstrating the results achieved with the funds provided by CIDA. Further, with regard to multilateral partners and the ICRC, CIDA holds a position on executive boards/committees and donor support groups that allows the agency to be briefed on the use of Government of Canada funding and the extent to which needs of beneficiaries are being met.