OTTAWA, May 26, 2015 /CNW Telbec/ - One month after the first of two major earthquakes in Nepal, the Humanitarian Coalition and its member agencies have raised more than $8 million to save lives in the immediate aftermath and assist survivors as they rebuild their communities.
We welcomed the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade, and Development's deployment of the Matching Fund program for Nepal. Canadians had until yesterday to see their individual donations matched by the government into its response pool for the Nepal disaster, and tens of thousands of them made generous contributions to relief efforts.
In the few days following the first quake, the Government of Canada was quick to respond by allocating funds from its Nepal relief pool to our member agencies and others who were already in Nepal. We commend this swift action. A rapid allocation of funds to trusted and experienced humanitarian organizations, such as the members of the Humanitarian Coalition, raises the effectiveness of Canada's response effort and helps to save more lives.
Collaboration also increases the strength and reach of humanitarian interventions. A recent Ipsos Reid poll indicates that 65 per cent of respondents believe that all Canadian humanitarian organizations should work together to raise funds, thus reducing the duplication of costs. A significant number of Canadians (46%) also say that they would be more likely to give to future relief efforts if all of this country's humanitarian agencies collaborated to raise funds.
Today, the member agencies of the Humanitarian Coalition (CARE Canada, Oxfam Canada, Oxfam-Québec, Plan Canada, and Save the Children Canada) remain on the ground in Nepal. The weeks and months ahead will be challenging, but years of experience in the region and solid partnerships with local organizations mean that our agencies are having a tangible impact. For more on their activities, go to: http://humanitariancoalition.ca/our-appeals/nepal-earthquake
We encourage all Canadians who can to make a donation at www.together.ca
The Humanitarian Coalition is Canada's only joint appeal mechanism for international disasters and emergencies. It is made up of five leading humanitarian agencies: CARE Canada, Oxfam Canada, Oxfam-Québec, Plan Canada, and Save the Children Canada. Collectively, they are present in 120 countries. By working together, they reduce the duplication of fundraising costs, which means that more money reaches those in need. www.together.ca
SOURCE Humanitarian Coalition
For interviews, please contact: Humanitarian Coalition, Marie-Jo Proulx, 613-884-3323, [email protected]; CARE Canada, Darcy Knoll, 613-790-2134, [email protected]; Oxfam Canada, Melanie Gallant, 613-240-3047, [email protected] ; Oxfam-Québec, Justine Lesage, 514-513-0013, [email protected]; Plan Canada, Abigail Brown,k 416-920-1654, [email protected]; Save the Children, Kirsten Walkom, 647-631-3862, [email protected]
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