TRENTON, Canada: Canada restarted aid for Palestinians in Gaza yesterday with CAN$40 million (RM141 million) for various agencies.
"Canada wholeheartedly recognises that Palestinian civilians' need for humanitarian assistance is growing by the hour," reported the Anadolu Agency quoting the Canadian Government as saying in a statement.
"The scale of the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip continues to require our urgent attention and immediate response. We must ensure that Palestinian civilians who need life-saving assistance receive it quickly."
The bulk of the money will flow to United Nations (UN) agencies, with the World Food Programme receiving the largest amount of CAN$16 million (RM56 million).
Also receiving funds are UNICEF, the United Nations Population Fund, the World Health Organisation (WHO), the International Committee of the Red Cross and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
The remaining CAN$5 million (RM18 million) will go to Canadian Non-Governmental Organisation (NGOs) partners, said the government.
Canada "temporarily paused" funding to the largest relief agency in Gaza, the UN Palestinian Relief Agency (UNRWA), after some of its employees were suspected of playing a role in the October 7 attack on Israel.
The freeze in funding to UNWRA is still in place, but funding to Gaza restarted with other agencies.
Canadian Minister of International Development, Ahmed Hussen, said more assistance is needed in Gaza.
"Since the very beginning of the crisis, our position has always been, and continues to be, centered on the firm belief that more assistance is needed, not less," Hussen said in a statement.
"In line with this commitment, we are stepping up with additional emergency funding so that our trusted and experienced humanitarian partners can continue to ensure this funding reaches the most vulnerable in their time of need," he added. — Bernama