OTTAWA, 24 JUNE, 2022 – In response to the global hunger crisis-which has been exacerbated by the confluence of COVID, climate change, and ongoing crisis in Ukraine and other regions-the Humanitarian Coalition whose members include CARE Canada and other Canadian partners are raising funds to rush assistance to people on the edge of famine.
CARE Canada and its civil society humanitarian partners were pleased to see Minister Harjit Sajjan’s announcement at today’s Uniting for Global Food Security Conference in Berlin for $5 million in matching funds for these efforts. This will ensure that all individual donations made by Canadians to CARE Canada and other members of the Humanitarian Coalition will be matched by the Government of Canada until the maximum is reached.
According to the World Food Programme,
- 50 million people are facing emergency levels of hunger.
- The number of severely food insecure people has more than doubled in the last two years.
- Extended drought and other climate shocks are wreaking havoc on food supplies and livelihoods.
- The COVID-19 pandemic has had severe economic consequences in many countries.
- The conflict in Ukraine is having a direct impact on access to basic food supplies.
CARE’s gender analyses demonstrate the disproportionate impacts of this crisis on women and girls. Vulnerable and marginalized people have limited capacity to absorb additional shocks and are often on the brink of survival already. This includes women and girls who, despite the key role they play in producing and preparing food, often eat last and least during times of acute food insecurity and are at higher risk of gender-based violence and various forms of exploitation and abuse.
“By donating to CARE Canada and members of the Humanitarian Coalition, Canadians are investing in elevating local women leaders and women’s rights organizations to maximize impact and empower women to become actors of change in this crisis,” said, Barbara Grantham, President and CEO of CARE Canada. “We recognize this has been a difficult time, and we are not through the worst of the ramifications yet. We are humbled, grateful, and buoyed by the ongoing generosity, leadership and empathy of our fellow Canadians as we seek to create a better outcome for the world’s most vulnerable through this effort.”
To donate visit www.care.ca.
To learn more about the Humanitarian Coalition, visit: https://www.humanitariancoalition.ca/
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CARE has spokespeople available. For media inquiries, please contact:
Media RelationsCARE Canada
media@care.ca
About CARE Canada:
Founded in 1945 with the creation of the CARE Package®, CARE is a leading humanitarian organization working around the globe to save lives, defeat poverty, and achieve social justice. CARE puts women and girls at the centre of our work because we know we cannot overcome poverty until all people have equal rights and opportunities. CARE develops solutions alongside women and girls to lift themselves, their families, and communities out of poverty and out of crisis. CARE works in over 100 countries around the world.
To learn more about CARE Canada, visit www.care.ca.