HANSARD: Oval Question on humanitarian aid to Afghanistan

Debates of Feb. 1st, 2022
House of Commons Hansard #21 of the 44th Parliament, 1st Session.
Foreign Affairs
Oral Questions

3:10 p.m.

 

Jenny Kwan Vancouver East, BC
NDP

Mr. Speaker, after the government abandoned people who risked their lives to help us, millions of Afghans, including children, are on the brink of starvation. We learned yesterday that Canadian organizations, like World Vision Canada, are unable to deliver food and aid to children suffering from malnutrition. They cannot help for fear of prosecution from Canada's anti-terrorism laws. The U.S. and the EU have made sure that humanitarian aid partners would not be prosecuted, but the Liberal government has not.

How many more Afghan children will have to die of starvation before an exemption is provided to Canadian organizations that want to help?

 

Harjit S. Sajjan Minister of International Development and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada
Liberal

Mr. Speaker, we are deeply concerned about the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and we will be there to support the people of Afghanistan, not the Taliban. That is why I recently announced that Canada would provide $56 million in humanitarian funding in response to the appeals from the United Nations and the international Red Cross. This funding will allow Canada's humanitarian partners to provide life-saving assistance to ensure that humanitarian goods are dispatched and that workers can continue to be able to support the Afghan people. We will look to do more with our partners.

 

https://openparliament.ca/debates/2022/2/1/jenny-kwan-1/

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