Canada renewed a $6 million, three-year contribution to OCHA, the U.N.'s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, to support relief coordination, Secretary of State (International Development) Randeep Sarai said in Ottawa on Nov. 3.
Global Affairs Canada said the funding will help OCHA make effective assistance available to people facing conflict, disasters or displacement. The department credited OCHA’s coordination in 2025 with helping aid organizations reach almost 98 million people.
Sarai and U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher discussed mounting relief needs, weaker observance of international humanitarian law and financial strain across the aid system, the department said. They also reviewed major emergencies and issues likely to affect humanitarian work over the next year.
Canada’s contribution so far in 2026 toward urgent needs identified in OCHA’s Global Humanitarian Overview is US$430 million, or about C$600 million, according to the department. Canada will chair the OCHA Donor Support Group starting in July 2027 and coordinate engagement between the office and its leading donors.
Fletcher thanked Canada and said its support would help OCHA coordinate aid for more people at a faster pace.
