With a new contribution announced at the Oslo Conference on Ending Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Humanitarian Crises, Canada continues its steadfast support for UNFPA’s work to address the needs of women and girls affected by humanitarian crises.

Totalling CAD 12.9 million, the new funding will support UNFPA’s humanitarian operations in response to crises in Bangladesh, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Jordan, Libya, Nigeria, Syria and Yemen. 

A portion of the funding will go to UNFPA’s new Humanitarian Action Thematic Fund, to which Canada is among the first to donate. The new fund provides flexible, multi-year humanitarian funding that enables UNFPA to respond quickly when crises strike, and to provide assistance in underfunded emergencies.

Driven by its Feminist International Assistance Policy, Canada has taken a global leadership role in ensuring political and financial support for sexual and reproductive health and rights, maternal health, family planning and humanitarian assistance. These shared priorities and values have made the country an indispensable supporter of UNFPA – especially during difficult times when the organization’s mandate and programmes, and the rights of women and girls, have come under attack.

In 2018, Canada signed a multi-year agreement to contribute to UNFPA’s core funding, pledging CAD 15.6 million between 2018 and 2021. This type of funding is critical to ensuring that the organization has reliable and flexible resources to deploy whenever and wherever the needs of women and girls are greatest. In the same year, Canada increased its co-financing support for UNFPA by more than 100 per cent.

Canada was also last year’s third biggest donor to UNFPA’s humanitarian operations, contributing USD 17 million, which accounted for 10 per cent of overall humanitarian funding received in 2018.

Canada is furthermore a key supporter of UNFPA Supplies, the world’s largest provider of donor-funded contraceptives and the main global provider of reproductive health supplies during humanitarian emergencies. An agreement signed in March provides for a contribution of CAD 10 million to UNFPA Supplies for 2019-2020, building on Canada’s previous CAD 10 million contribution in 2017-2018.

With its continuing investment and leadership to advance the rights of women, girls and young people, Canada is a strategic partner for UNFPA. The organization is poised to continue to join forces with Canada  to accelerate the realization of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, including in humanitarian crises.