November 30, 2024 – Ottawa, Ontario – Global Affairs Canada

The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced that Rob Oliphant, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, will travel to Egypt to represent Canada at the Cairo conference on the humanitarian response in Gaza on December 2, 2024. This conference is co-convened by the Government of Egypt and the UN.

Canada remains deeply concerned by the persistent and worsening catastrophic humanitarian conditions and the imminent risk of famine in Gaza, as well as the challenges faced by those seeking to provide help. During the conference, Parliamentary Secretary Oliphant and representatives from the international community will discuss how to significantly scale up the safe, rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian assistance into and throughout Gaza, as well as how to support early recovery and plan for long-term reconstruction.

Parliamentary Secretary Oliphant will highlight that Canada has announced $50 million in funding for humanitarian assistance to address the acute needs of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. With this funding, Canada will have allocated, to date, a total of $215 million for international assistance to address the urgent needs of vulnerable civilians in this crisis. Canada relies on experienced and trusted partners, particularly the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, other UN agencies, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and Canadian NGOs, to deliver this funding.