Canada Commits $55M to Syria, But Admits Cluelessness on Fund Allocation
Global Affairs Canada (GAC) announced another $55.4 million in “humanitarian assistance funding” to Syria on Monday. However, the department told Coastal Front it has no idea where the money is going.
“Canada stands in solidarity with the people of Syria and those in neighbouring countries affected by this ongoing crisis, and we will continue to work with international partners to address this dire humanitarian crisis,” said Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussen.
This brings Canada’s funding to Syria and neighbouring countries to nearly $150 million for 2024.
GAC said it will work with “experienced humanitarian partners” who will purportedly provide food, water, sanitation, and health services. The department said the funding will also provide protection services, including the prevention, mitigation, and response to gender-based violence.
You might recall a report published by the Office of the Auditor General of Canada last year that determined GAC does not know whether its major funding initiative — aimed at promoting gender equality abroad — is actually improving the lives of women and girls.
The audit found incomplete and missing project files, making it impossible for the department to accurately track and report the outcomes of funded projects, as per the office.
Auditor General Karen Hogan said it is imperative that Global Affairs “act immediately” to improve its information management practices.
The office told Coastal Front last year that Global Affairs committed to providing quarterly updates on its progress regarding the improvement of its information management but didn’t provide further details.
Fast forward to Monday’s funding announcement: Coastal Front asked GAC for a list of the “experienced humanitarian” funding recipients mentioned in the press release, as well as a dollar amount for each recipient.
The department told Coastal Front that it was working on the request but due to its “challenging” nature, Global Affairs needed more time, stating that it would have a response by Wednesday afternoon.
Come Thursday, there was still no response, so Coastal Front asked for an update.
“Thank you for your patience. We’re still working on your request, but we hope to get back to you by the end of business today,” the department said in an email.
On Thursday afternoon, James Wanki, a spokesperson for GAC, provided the department’s long-anticipated response:
“Canada’s support to Syria and the region is delivered through trusted and experienced humanitarian partners,” Wanki stated, further noting that the “partners have not yet been determined.”
It took three days and multiple emails back and forth for GAC’s taxpayer-funded media department to provide two sentences stating that it does not yet know where the funding will go — an inquiry that the department said was “challenging.”
This lack of clarity in Monday's announcement piqued Coastal Front’s interest due to Canada’s history of funding regime change efforts in the region. In March, we published a report detailing how, for years, GAC funded organizations at the forefront of developing a sophisticated propaganda system targeting the Middle East — a practice that stretches back to former prime minister Stephen Harper’s government. You can read it HERE.
