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EriTree Delegates Meet With CIDA Officials, Ask Canada to do more |
Press Release
(April 24, 2001 Toronto Canada)
An EriTree delegation consisting of nine volunteer
board members met with several senior CIDA officials
to discuss ways to improve co-operation in their joint efforts
to help war affected children in Eritrea.
EriTree is a Canadian NGO that has been involved in
relief and development work in Eritrea for over 20 years.
Members of EriTree expressed their deepest concerns
regarding the war affected children women and the elderly.
They also conveyed the message from the community and supporters
who felt that "Canada should do more to help at this time".
The magnitude of resources required in order to provide
the basic survival needs for the displaced appears to be totally
out of proportion with the capacity of this young nation
of Eritrea.
The United Nations Inter Agency Appeal for Eritrea 2001
that was sponsored by several UN organizations including WFP,
UNHCR, UNICEF, FAO, UNDP, UNFPA, WHO, UNIDO and OCHA shows
that over 1.76 Million people require immediate assistance and
over $157 Million USD is needed to do so.
The Eritrean Relief
and Rehabilitation Commission (ERREC) has indicated that there
are additional 276,000 affected people and the total emergency
budget required is closer to $240 Million.
CIDA representatives who recently visited Eritrea were able
to see for themselves the level of economic devastation and
human suffering that was inflicted by the unfortunate border
war between Eritrea and Ethiopia.
With our Canadian peacekeepers deployed on the ground and
a fragile peace agreement that has held so far, there is
a reason for cautious optimism for a lasting peace in
the area.
However, as minister Maria Minna indicated herself,
successful return and resettlement of the displaced civilian
population is an important and crucial component of peace building.
EriTree calls on the Canadian government, CIDA and all concerned
NGOs to do more at this crucial stage in the history of the people of
Eritrea.
The weakest members of the population, children women and the elderly,
have endured over two years of devastation.
They are exerting heroic efforts to piece their lives back
together and start preparing for the upcoming planting season.
YOUR HELP IS NEEDED NOW!
Members of EriTree also met with representatives of
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defense
and expressed their pride and appreciation, as Eritrean
Canadians, the role our peacekeepers are playing through
their presence there and helping to establish a link
between the peoples of Canada and Eritrea.
For more information or to obtain a copy of the United Nations Inter Agency Appeal for Eritrea 2001
or the ERREC Emergency Appeal 2001, please click here to contact us
Together we can make a difference!
EriTree Canada
http://www.eritree.com
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