With only 12 million dollars collected so far, the federal government has extended the deadline for Canadians to donate to a matching fund for Syrian relief efforts.
Speaking at a press conference in Ottawa on Thursday, Minister of International Development Marie-Claude Bibeau said the original deadline of Dec. 31, 2015 for the Syria Emergency Relief Fund has now been pushed back to Feb. 29.
Bibeau made the announcement along with several Canadian non-governmental organizations, including the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, the Canadian Red Cross, CARE Canada, Development and Peace, Oxfam Canada, Plan Canada, Save the Children Canada, UNICEF Canada and World Vision Canada.
The federal government has pledged to match donations up to $100 million for every dollar donated by individuals to registered Canadian charities responding to the crisis in Syria.
The fund, set up in September 2015, will be used to help Canadian humanitarian organizations “meet basic humanitarian needs of people affected by the conflict in Syria, including shelter, food, health care and water,” the government said in a news release.
The fund will also “provide protection and education for conflict-affected people in Syria and millions of refugees in Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey.”
Donor fatigue?
Gillian Barth, president and CEO of Care Canada, said her organization is very happy with the extension.
“Raising money for the relief effort in Syria has been a huge challenge,” said Barth whose organization works to help Syrian women and girls with basic water, sanitation and hygiene needs.
Barth said while many Canadians have opened their homes and their wallets to help Syrian refugees, many others feel overwhelmed by the enormity of the crisis, and many feel unsure what impact will their money have.
Still she hopes now that the holiday season is over Canadians will once again be able to focus on the plight of the refugees, Barth said.
“Millions of people remain displaced inside Syria or are living as refugees in the surrounding regions,” Barth said. “The extension of the Syria Emergency Relief Fund match will help us reach even more families in need.”
Canada has donated $969M
Asked whether officials are disappointed that Canadians have only donated $12 million out of a potential $100 million since September, Bibeau said that “every dollar counts” and that Canadians and various organizations had been making donations well before the government’s relief fund was established.
“The Syria matching fund is a complementary way for Canadians to assist in helping millions of people still requiring assistance abroad,” Bibeau said. “I have no doubt Canadians will continue to rise to the occasion and give to those most in need.”
To date, the government has given over $969 million in humanitarian assistance and development support in response to the Syrian civil war.
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