Parliamentary Committee Notes: Canada's engagement in Afghanistan
From 2001 to 2021, Canada worked alongside Afghans to achieve gains in democracy, human rights, girls' education, maternal and child health, and media freedom in Afghanistan, despite persistent instability.
We remember and honour the sacrifices made by Canadian Armed Forces, diplomats and other Canadians in Afghanistan and the losses suffered by their families and loved ones.
Canada remains committed to supporting the Afghan people especially Afghan women and girls, amidst the continued difficult political, security and humanitarian situation.
Supplementary messages
Since 2001, Canada has provided $4 billion in international assistance to Afghanistan, which helped a generation of Afghans achieve a higher standard of living, with reduced infant mortality, extended life expectancy, and millions of children, especially girls, attending school.
Supporting facts and figures
Since 2021, Canadian funding has helped to ensure approximately 25,000 Afghan girls' access to primary education through community-based education classes, over 8,700 Afghan women's access to midwifery services, and provision of supplemental health services to over 440,000 Afghans. Canada's funding also contributed to providing 9.5 million children with a polio vaccine.
Background
International Development Assistance
Prior to August 2021, Afghanistan was Canada's largest bilateral development program for several years, with a $90 million annual allocation of development assistance from 2019. Canada made substantial contributions through development and humanitarian assistance, military support, police training, rule of law reform, demining, public financial management and reform, service delivery, human rights and women's rights advocacy, and diplomatic engagement with Afghan leaders and the international community.
While a number of operational development assistance projects had to pivot or close due to the challenging operational and political environment following August 2021, Canada has since resumed support to basic services in health, education, and the empowerment of women and girls in order to avert the collapse of these services and sustain achievements made over two decades. Canada continues to deliver humanitarian and development (basic needs) assistance through trusted international organizations and in partnership with Canadian and international NGOs.
Humanitarian Assistance
Between 2014 and 2020, Canada provided a total of $129.7 million in humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan. Since 2021, in response to growing humanitarian needs, Canada allocated over $249M in humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan. This assistance is delivered through the UN and other trusted and experienced international and Canadian humanitarian partners with operational capacity to respond to these needs.
Security Assistance
Canada contributed over $600 million in bilateral security support to Afghanistan between 2001 and 2021. Security sector support was provided through the NATO-managed Afghanistan National Army Trust Fund and the UNDP-managed Law and Order Trust Fund for Afghanistan. Canada's support to both of these funds ceased when the Taliban takeover in August 2021, and both funds are closing down.
40,000 Canadians served in the NATO mission in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2014, making it the largest Canadian military deployment since the World War II. 158 Canadian Forces members and one Canadian diplomat died during this time.
Canada's Engagement Since 2021
Canada's embassy in Kabul has been closed since August 2021. Canada is actively engaged in international diplomatic efforts on Afghanistan, including through our Special Representative for Afghanistan, based in Doha, and as chair of the New York-based UN Group of Friends of Afghanistan.
Canadian engagement with Afghanistan is guided by four key priorities: safe passage and resettlement of vulnerable Afghans to Canada, more than 54,000 of whom now call Canada home; delivery of humanitarian assistance and support for basic needs; promoting human rights, particularly those of women and girls; and counterterrorism efforts to ensure that Afghanistan does not once again become a safe haven for transnational terrorist groups.
Canada remains committed to supporting the Afghan people through international assistance, delivering basic needs services in the areas of health, education and women's and girls' empowerment, as well as humanitarian assistance.
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