Settlement in Canada and Furio De Angelis

Liberal campaign promise: Canada contribution, announced Thursday, fulfils a Liberal campaign promise from the federal election, a contribution that includes $10 million for the UN refugee agency to help it select eligible Syrians for settlement in Canada over the next few months, according to Toronto Star. Canada is coming out very strongly, not only with this exceptional program of resettling the 25,000 Syrian refugees, but the financial support to UNHCR is absolutely crucial, Furio de Angelis, the UN agency Ottawa representative, told The Canadian Press. The UN refugee agency has only raised 45 per cent of the $4.5 billion it sought for 2015 to assist the 4.3 million refugees who have fled Syria for Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan and Iraq, according to its latest statistics. Unfortunately our programs are underfunded and not only UNHCR programs but in general humanitarian programs underfunded. Government officials in the newly re-named Global Affairs Department acknowledged the vast international funding shortcoming, but said Canada was doing its part because it was still among the top 10 international donors. This is another sign that Canada is on the side of refugees, it is on the side of humanitarian assistance. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.