Dear Editor,
There is a lot of turmoil in the world today with much of it being fuelled by the current US administration. Tariff wars, alienation of allies, disrespect for nations are just a few of the things coming out of Washington. But I want to draw attention to something that seems to have taken a back seat to all the news currently in the headlines.
Back in February, the US administration put a freeze on $40 billion of humanitarian aid administered through the US Agency for International Development (USAID) destined to help the poor and hungry around the world. That $40 billion represented 40% of the funding used worldwide to alleviate poverty. Do people realize how significant this is?
The effects are catastrophic. Not only did 10,000 USAID employees lose their jobs, another 100,000 people implementing the programs in countries all around the world are also at risk of losing their jobs. Millions more people will go hungry in a world where over 757 million people already don’t have enough to eat. And the worst thing is many of these people will die.
There is a sense that foreign aid is wasted, that it doesn’t work and that it gets into the hands of the wrong people. Nothing could be further from the truth! I work for Canadian Foodgrains Bank, a top 10 charity as rated by Charity Intelligence, and I have seen the results where the lives of those escaping war are saved by emergency food assistance, and families are transformed by the skills they learn in our long-term response programs.
The Foodgrains Bank receives funding from the Canadian government and the reporting that supports these grants is detailed and rigorous. Each year, we must show where and how the money was used, how much was used for each project, and many other details resulting in a very comprehensive report. We have accountants who visit our projects to review the spending and ensure that the money is reaching the people it is intended to help. We know for certain that it is not getting into the hands of corrupt governments or terrorist organizations.
But foreign aid does more than save lives and transform families. It creates stability, health and prosperity which reduces the risk of disease and conflict spreading to other countries including Canada. It lessens the pressure on immigration as people have the resources to stay in their own community. It can even lead to future trading relationships as countries successfully break through the poverty barrier.
We are now in the midst of a Canadian election where there has been talk of cuts to foreign aid. It’s perceived to be an easy target because politicians think Canadians don’t care about others. But is that true? I don’t think so. Canadians have always been caring, compassionate and generous. Our executive director Andy Harrington says, “Now is not the time for Canada to back down from our responsibility to our global neighbours. We must continue our commitment to global co-operation and stability and increase our efforts to help in emergencies. We can demonstrate humane and compassionate leadership on the global stage by helping to build both resilience and sustainability in a time of growing global crises”.
I urge you to talk to or leave a message with your candidates about humanitarian assistance. Even something as simple as saying “I like that Canada gives support to developing countries and I’d like to see that continue” will go a long way to making an impression on those running for office.
The lives of millions of people are at stake and those people are no more or less human than us. It just happens that we have the good fortune of living in a very blessed country. And for that, we should be grateful and willing to share with those who are not as fortunate.
Henry Reinders, Meaford
