Canada Announces Over $398 Million in International Assistance at UN General Assembly

Canada’s Secretary of State for International Development, Randeep Sarai, announced more than $398 million in international assistance funding during his attendance at the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) from September 23 to 25. The funding package is designated for global education initiatives, public health responses, and humanitarian aid.

The largest portion of the newly announced funding includes $300 million for the replenishment of the Global Partnership for Education—which includes $10 million from Canada's International Development Research Centre—and $60 million for Education Cannot Wait. According to Canadian officials, these allocations aim to strengthen national education systems and expand access to schooling for children and youth affected by crises.

Additional funds include $36 million dedicated to Ebola response efforts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and neighboring nations, announced during the High-Level Meeting on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response. This amount includes $4 million from Health Emergency Readiness Canada to support research and development of medical countermeasures. Sarai also announced $2.5 million for the International NGO Safety Organisation to support the protection of humanitarian personnel.

Beyond the $398 million package, Sarai highlighted over $25 million in funding intended to support security, governance, and community resilience in Haiti during a meeting of the UN Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Haiti. He also referenced a separate announcement of $100 million in assistance for Palestine, $80 million of which is designated for humanitarian aid delivered through partner organizations.

Throughout the session, Sarai participated in several multilateral forums addressing topics such as ending child, early, and forced marriage, advancing global health innovation, polio eradication, and development financing, alongside holding bilateral discussions with international counterparts, UN representatives, and non-governmental organizations.

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