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Government of Canada
1. How has Canada responded to the crisis caused by the 2004 tsunami and how is its $425 million commitment being spent?
2. How will the federal government ensure accountability for all its funding in response to the disaster?
3. How is Canada working to ensure coordination with other donors and agencies?
4. Is Canada helping the tsunami-affected countries by offering debt relief?
5. How will Canada's response to the tsunami affect our assistance to other current or future humanitarian situations?
Provinces, territories, and municipalities
6. How have other jurisdictions in Canada provided assistance?
Non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
7. What role have NGOs played in relief, rehabilitation, and reconstruction?
Matching Fund Program
8. How did the government match donations from Canadians?
9. How many Canadian NGOs are involved?
Private sector
10. How is the private sector involved?
Future preparedness
11. How is Canada helping reduce the impact of a future Indian Ocean tsunami?
Canadian citizens
12. Can Canadians volunteer or work in tsunami-affected countries, or send goods as a way to help?
13. Where can I find more details about Canada’s response to the tsunami crisis?
 Government of Canada
1. How has Canada responded to the crisis caused by the 2004 tsunami and how is its $425 million commitment being spent?
Within hours of the December 26, 2004, tsunami, the Government of Canada offered emergency assistance to the affected countries—the first step in a coordinated response that has involved more than a dozen federal departments and agencies.
The Government of Canada has allocated $425 million toward humanitarian aid, rehabilitation, and reconstruction over the next five years. Some emergency relief funds were disbursed immediately after the disaster by Foreign Affairs Canada and other government departments, including the Department of National Defence. It deployed medical teams and engineers attached to the Canadian Forces Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART). The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) is responsible for distributing the remaining $383 million.
In collaboration with its partners, the Government of Canada is now addressing the long-term needs of those affected by the tsunami.
For further details on how Canada's commitment is being spent, please see the financial breakdown, the project browser, and the From the Ground Up document.
2. How will the federal government ensure accountability for all of its funding in response to the disaster?
The amount of donated funds raised by each Canadian partner in the Matching Fund Program was verified by independent auditors before the full amount of matching federal government funding was released.
The expenditure of matching funds and regular bilateral (government-to-government) funding will be subject to all normal federal government legislative, regulatory, and administrative requirements, including reporting on projects upon completion and independent, audited statements. The Office of the Auditor General of Canada produced a report in November 2005 that evaluated CIDA's response to the tsunami. In the words of Auditor General Sheila Fraser, "We've given CIDA pretty good marks for the way that they handled this whole program and the way that they responded so quickly to the disaster relief.”
The United Nations has taken steps to ensure the accountability of its tsunami-related spending by retaining the services of the accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers on a pro bono basis.
3. How is Canada working to ensure coordination with other donors and agencies?
Canada is working closely with United Nations (UN) agencies and other donors to support the affected countries. For example, on January 11, 2005, Canada announced that it would provide funds to the UN Flash Appeal as part of its overall contribution to initial relief efforts.
In March 2005, CIDA participated in the Asian Development Bank round table in Manila, Philippines, to explore areas of joint work, partnership, coordination, and harmonization. This initiative was considered to be critical by donors and representatives from the tsunami-affected countries.
To facilitate coordination, CIDA developed reconstruction strategies for Indonesia and Sri Lanka based on priorities and areas of need identified by both the Sri Lankan and Indonesian governments. CIDA's reconstruction strategies for Sri Lanka and Indonesia serve as guidelines for long-term tsunami programming supported by the Government of Canada and its partners.
In Indonesia, CIDA contributed $13 million toward the $500-million Multi-Donor Trust Fund for Aceh and North Sumatra, developed at the request of the Government of Indonesia. This fund, managed by the World Bank, enables various donors to pool their resources and coordinate their assistance toward financing new and ongoing rehabilitation and reconstruction projects. Canada also participated at the first Coordination Forum for Aceh and Nias (CFAN) in October 2005, which was organized by the Government of Indonesia and attended by donors, NGOs, and UN agencies.
In Sri Lanka, CIDA and Foreign Affairs Canada participated in the Sri Lanka Development Forum, a consultative group meeting in May 2005, where the Government of Sri Lanka and the donor community held direct talks on development, tsunami reconstruction, and peace. CIDA chaired the local Bilateral Donor Group working to coordinate post-tsunami policies and share information among bilateral donors in Sri Lanka from February 1 to August 31, 2005. CIDA continues to hold one of the two bilateral donor seats on the Tsunami Reconstruction Steering Committee.
4. Is Canada helping the tsunami-affected countries by offering debt relief?
Yes. Canada announced the offer of a debt moratorium on December 30, 2004, to enable the governments of tsunami-affected countries to redirect their resources toward rehabilitation and reconstruction. Paris Club creditors have also agreed to offer a moratorium on sovereign debt payments until December 31, 2005. They issued a communiqué to that effect in March 2005. Deferred payments will be repaid over five years, with one year of grace.
Indonesia and Sri Lanka have accepted Canada's offer of a moratorium, making a total for both countries of approximately $80 million in debt payments. Canada has also agreed not to charge moratorium interest on the deferred amounts.
5. How will Canada's response to the tsunami affect our assistance to other current or future humanitarian situations?
Because Canada's response to the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami is being met through new funding to the current fiscal framework, our assistance to current or future humanitarian situations will not be affected.
Provinces, territories, and municipalities
6. How have other jurisdictions in Canada provided assistance?
Provincial and territorial governments have donated close to $20 million for relief and rehabilitation. The Government of Canada welcomes their interest in contributing to long-term reconstruction.
Municipalities across the country have raised money and sent technical experts to help their counterparts in affected countries. For example, two water and sanitation experts from the City of Toronto and two environmental experts from the Government of Quebec have carried out short assignments in Aceh, in Sumatra, to assist with relief and reconstruction efforts.
With CIDA's support, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities has engaged municipal governments in long-term reconstruction efforts by creating partnerships with communities through their project in Sri Lanka.
Non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
7. What role have NGOs played in relief, rehabilitation, and reconstruction?
Many NGOs have long-standing relationships with counterparts in the affected countries. This has helped ensure that emergency aid gets to the people who need it most.
In the first month following the tsunami, Canadian NGOs worked with their local partners and international NGOs to meet immediate needs for food, temporary shelter, clean water, and hygiene.
Presently, NGOs are working with their partners on medium- and long-term rehabilitation and reconstruction strategies. Reconstruction initiatives involve various activities, including psychosocial support for traumatized children, rebuilding homes and livelihoods, and environmental rehabilitation. For more information on NGO relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction projects, please visit the site Tsunami: Canada’s response.
Matching Fund Program
8. How did the government match donations from Canadians?
Under the Matching Fund Program, the Government of Canada agreed to match, on a dollar-for-dollar basis, donations made by individuals and groups to specific Canadian NGOs between December 26, 2004, and January 11, 2005. The funds donated during this 17-day period totalled $213,023,843. The government is committed to matching this sum. It is presently working with its partner NGOs helping tsunami survivors rebuild their lives in the tsunami-affected countries.
9. How many Canadian NGOs are involved?
There are 23 NGOs participating in the Matching Fund Program. Consult the List of organizations receiving Government of Canada matching funds. Other Canadian NGOs are taking part in post-tsunami reconstruction through conventional country-to-country programs funded by CIDA.
Private sector
10. How is the private sector involved?
Private firms responded quickly and generously to the crisis, pledging close to $11.2 million to Canadian NGOs. In addition, the shipping and transportation sectors donated their services during the initial relief phase. The private sector is eligible to apply to CIDA bilateral programs to receive funding for reconstruction projects in the tsunami-affected countries provided that funds remain. Interested businesses can also look for opportunities on the websites of International Trade Canada and CIDA's Industrial Cooperation Program (CIDA-INC).
Future Preparedness
11. How is Canada helping reduce the impact of a future Indian Ocean tsunami?
Following several high-level international meetings early in 2005, a general consensus emerged to create an Indian Ocean tsunami warning system, based on the existing Pacific Tsunami Warning System.
CIDA has made $1 million available toward the new system. The tentative breakdown of Canada's contribution is $500,000 for a United Nations trust fund and $500,000 for integrated assistance and training to Sri Lanka through Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Natural Resources Canada.
Development of the system will be managed by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Canada wants to ensure that any early warning system designed for the Indian Ocean is also consistent with, and transferable to, the development of an Atlantic and/or global warning system, which Canada has long advocated.
Canadian citizens
12. Can Canadians volunteer or work in tsunami-affected countries, or send goods as a way to help?
While the Government of Canada appreciates the generosity and willingness of Canadians who wish to travel to affected countries, we do not send volunteers directly. Instead, we channel money and other assistance to experienced UN agencies and NGOs. The best option for Canadians who would like to volunteer or work overseas in tsunami reconstruction is to contact one of the 23 partner organizations listed on CIDA's tsunami disaster response website or other NGOs carrying out tsunami programming.
Many Canadians would like to send goods such as clothing to help survivors. Given the high cost of transporting goods from Canada, we do not recommend this option. Donating to a Canadian charity with experience in affected areas remains the most effective way to help.
13. Where can I find more details about Canada’s response to the tsunami crisis?
Further information may be found on the Government of Canada's Tsunami disaster response website. Business-related information may be found on the websites of International Trade Canada and CIDA's Industrial Cooperation Program (CIDA-INC).
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