Parliamentary Committee Notes: Supporting a Humanitarian Workforce to Respond to COVID-19 and Other Large-Scale Emergencies
Issue
Provide an update on funding provided to the Canadian Red Cross and other non-governmental organizations through the Humanitarian Workforce program.
Proposed Response
- Since 2021, our Government has provided funding to the Canadian Red Cross, St. John Ambulance, The Salvation Army and the Search and Rescue Volunteer Association of Canada through the Humanitarian Workforce program.
- This funding is enabling these organizations to build capacity to respond to large-scale domestic emergencies, including floods and wildfires.
- During the COVID-19 pandemic, non-governmental organizations funded under the Program deployed resources to support responses to Requests for Federal Assistance from provinces and territories.
- Additionally, capacity built with funding from the Humanitarian Workforce program has enabled these four organizations to provide support to provinces and territories directly, through bilateral arrangements. This includes support provided during the historic 2023 wildfire season.
- In advance of this year's wildfire season, the federal government is taking action to strengthen the capabilities available under the Program, to help ensure non-governmental organizations are able to mobilize quickly and provide relief to Canadians in times of need.
- Our Government also recognizes that a sustainable approach for a pan-Canadian civilian response capacity is needed to keep pace with the evolving threat environment. This is why my department is engaging key partners and stakeholders on this issue.
Background
Humanitarian Workforce program
In July 2023, the Government announced $82 million in funding to support the capacity-building efforts of the Canadian Red Cross (CRC), St. John Ambulance, The Salvation Army, and the Search and Rescue Volunteer Association of Canada (SARVAC). This builds on previous funding announced early in the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Humanitarian Workforce (HWF) program aims to build a scalable civilian workforce that can be rapidly deployed in emergencies, broadening the resources available to respond to large-scale emergencies such as human-induced and climate-related disasters in Canada, and reducing the reliance on the Canadian Armed Forces in disaster response. The program funds NGOs that possess specialized skills and expertise to respond to a variety of events that could initiate Requests for Federal Assistance (RFAs) from provincial and territorial governments (P/Ts).
Two streams of funding are available: Stream 1 (Capacity-Building) and Stream 2 (Deployment Activities). Stream 1 (Capacity-Building) funds NGOs to build on their recruitment, training, equipment and organizational readiness to allow them to rapidly deploy on short notice for emergency response. To-date, a total of $167 million has been committed under this stream, through agreements with the four NGOs currently funded under the program. Public Safety is currently exploring advancing pilot project activities under this stream of the program for enhanced civilian response readiness capacity that could be tested and leveraged during the 2024 cyclical emergency event season.
Stream 2 (Deployment Activities) funds the deployment of NGOs in response to RFAs from P/Ts when surge capacity is needed to support resources on the ground. As of January 2024, a total of $11.4 million has been committed under stream 2, and there has been a total of 13 deployments by the CRC, including support for Health Human Resources in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut; support to Long Term Care Facilities in Ontario and Nova Scotia; contact tracing, shelter support and epidemic prevention and control in Northwest Territories; and vaccination support in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. SARVAC also deployed once in Ontario. There have been no draws on this stream of funding since 2022.
Through the HWF program, NGOs have also been able to strengthen their capabilities so that they are able to rapidly respond to direct bilateral requests from P/Ts. Since the program's inception, they have deployed their personnel and volunteers across the country to assist with hundreds of such requests, including in response to the 2023 wildfire season, Hurricane Fiona in 2022 and the COVID-19 pandemic. The HWF program builds upon previous time-limited funding to scale up the capacity of the CRC for urgent relief efforts.
Advancing a Preparedness Pilot for Spring 2024
Public Safety is advancing a pilot project under the HWF program to facilitate the rapid deployment of resources and respond to an emergency. As part of a pilot project, NGOs will carry out the following activities:
SARVAC: Establish a new "mission ready" group; approximately 200 volunteers across the country would commit to deploying for up to 3 weeks within an 72 hour timeframe.
The Salvation Army: Strategically locate assets and supplies (i.e. water and nonperishable food) in multiple locations in British Columbia and Northwest Territories (NWT).
St. John Ambulance: Conduct a small-scale live exercise with community partners to ensure up to 650 emergency health services and psychosocial support teams can be rapidly deployed (i.e. within 72 hours) into the North.
Canadian Red Cross: Engage in a workshop and 'just in time' exercise, which will include local community groups and first responders. Through these activities, the organization will be able to rapidly deploy up to 100 responders to support evacuation and re-entry of communities (e.g., through case management and registration support), and also plans to triple its volunteer capacity in NWT (from 6 to 20). In addition, the Government intends to include Team Rubicon in the Program, a veteran-led organization that serves communities before, during and after disasters and crises.
Civilian response engagement
In February 2024, the federal government launched a targeted engagement with partners and stakeholders on the need for a civilian response capacity. This engagement will help inform decisions concerning the establishment of an integrated and sustainable approach for an all hazards civilian response capacity.
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