(OTTAWA) International aid organizations that, among other things, fight hunger and the spread of disease abroad believe that the funds allocated for their missions in the federal budget presented on Tuesday are insufficient.
Treasury Secretary Chrystia Freeland’s third budget earmarks nearly $6.9 billion in international development assistance for the next fiscal year, down 16% from last year.
Despite everything, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has asked his Minister for International Development, Harjit Sajjan, to increase his spending every year.
In 2019-2020, the last fiscal year before the pandemic, the government had budgeted $6.6 billion for international aid. With measures related to the pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, that number rose to over 8 billion last year.
However, ahead of Tuesday’s budget unveiling, government officials had warned the humanitarian aid community that the sum of the 2021-2022 budget was extraordinary due to special circumstances. The Liberals had therefore indicated that next year’s figure would be closer to that of 2019 than last year.
For Cooperation Canada Director-General Kate Higgins, this federal election will ensure that some organizations stop planning long-term projects, especially as they also struggle with rising inflation.
“This decision slows progress and undermines Canada’s contribution to development in other parts of the world,” she said.
“It undermines our security as a country and the contribution we are making to combating deepening global crises, whether it be climate change or the abolition of human rights and democracy. »
MMe Higgins also noted that the budget does not indicate the proportion of funds going to Ukraine, which she says is in dire need of help, compared to the amount earmarked for other crises elsewhere in the world.
“There are crises in other parts of the world, whether in the Horn of Africa or in the Middle East, that we need to monitor and respond to,” she recalled.
“So our concern is to ensure that we can respond boldly to the war in Ukraine, not to mention the crises in other parts of the world. »
long term
Other groups have insisted the Liberals must confirm funding for years to come so they can better plan their projects abroad.
“We need to be able to show our international partners that we’re here for the long haul so that we can persuade other governments to join us,” said Danny Glenwright, President of Save the Children Canada.
Beyond Our Borders noted that this fiscal year is at particular risk as it marks the end of the five-year funding cycle that includes commitments Canada made to host the 2018 G7 Summit.
“If this investment is not renewed, four million girls and young women around the world will be left with an uncertain future as Canada-supported education projects come to an end in the coming months,” the minister warned.
UNICEF Canada director David Morley said in a statement that the budget fails to take into account that children face conflict, climate change, “rising rates of malnutrition and the social fallout – ongoing economic impact of the pandemic”.
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