Canada gives funds for Southern Africa crisis

Canada will contribute CAD $34.2 million (US $22 million) in humanitarian aid to Southern Africa, a statement said on Friday.

"Canada is deeply concerned about the deteriorating conditions in Southern Africa and is ready to provide immediate support to those suffering from the growing food crisis," Susan Whelan, Minister for International Cooperation, said in a statement.

The assistance, through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) would support emergency programmes carried out by experienced humanitarian organisations working in the region. It would provide food aid, support activities to improve the health and nutrition of affected populations, as well as contribute to other humanitarian interventions such as peace building initiatives.

Many countries in the Southern African region - Angola, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique, Lesotho and Swaziland - are facing their worst crisis since the 1992 drought, with diseases like HIV/AIDS and the after effects of war worsening the situation.

Angola will receive a CAD $8.25 million (US $5.4 million) chunk of the disbursement with CAD $5.5 million (US $3.6 million) going to UNICEF to help reduce the measles and malaria mortality rate there.

As regions in the country open up after the 4 April ceasefire agreement, aid organisations have launched urgent appeals to help thousands of people who are struggling to recover from the war. This includes at least 70,000 children who are severely malnourished.

UNICEF will carry out a widespread measles vaccination campaign of 6.8 million children, provide Vitamin A supplements to 2.8 million children, and distribute 80,000 insecticide-treated nets to combat malaria.

An amount of CAD $1 million (US $650,000) will be given to Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) to provide nutrition and basic health-care support for 45,000 inhabitants and 113,000 internally displaced persons, in Malanje town and the Cangandala district in Angola.

MSF will carry out therapeutic and supplemental feeding programmes, establish a clinic and a health post for new internally displaced persons, as well as a tuberculosis ward, and conduct a malaria study and epidemiological surveillance.

CIDA will give CAD $1 million (US $650,000) to Acción contra el Hambre (ACF) to carry out an emergency nutritional programme in the Caconda District, in Huila province. ACF will provide nutritional rehabilitation feeding for an estimated 3,600 beneficiaries and supplemental feeding for another 12,000.

The World Food Programme (WFP) will receive CAD $750,000 (US $491,000) to help prevent pellagra, a deadly disease resulting from vitamin deficiency that disproportionately affects women, in Bié province.

Canada's contribution to the WFP initiative will provide mixing devices, technical support and bagging equipment for the fortified maize meal.

The latest announcement brings Canada's total contribution in Southern Africa to CAD $45 million (US $29.4 million), the statement said.