July 22, 2011 - Today, International Cooperation Minister The Hon. Bev Oda visited the Dadaab refugee camps in East Africa and announced that the Federal Government will increase its financial support to East Africa by an additional $50M. In addition the government will establish the East Africa Drought Relief Fund to help the victims of the severe drought now affecting approximately 11 million people in East Africa. This is in addition to the $22.35 million provided by CIDA earlier this year for humanitarian assistance in the region.

The World Food Programme will receive $25 million of the new money to provide emergency food assistance to those people most in need. Canada will also provide $25 million to other UN agencies, and various NGOs to provide nutrition, water and sanitation, and other non-food aid.

In addition, the Government has created a matching fund program for East Africa.  For every dollar an individual Canadian donates over a 10-week period (retroactive to July 6, 2011, and ending September 16, 2011) to a registered Canadian charity responding to the drought in East Africa, the Government will contribute an equivalent amount to the East Africa Drought Relief Fund.

Below are registered Canadian charities responding to this crisis in East Africa that have agreed not to work with the recognized terrorist organization Al-Shabaab:

World Vision
http://www.worldvision.ca/give-a-gift/Pages/DroughtintheHornofAfrica.aspx

CARE Canada
http://care.ca/main/index.php?en&Food_Crisis_Eastern_Horn_Africa

World Food Programme
http://www.wfp.org/crisis/horn-of-africa

Humanitarian Coalition
http://humanitariancoalition.ca/index.php/site/pastAppealDetail/east_africa_drought_crisis/