星空传媒

Canada

    • UN seeks Canadian help for 'enormous' needs as number of refugees doubles

    United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Deputy High Commissioner Kelly Clements testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, April 12, 2016. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Deputy High Commissioner Kelly Clements testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, April 12, 2016. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
    Share
    OTTAWA -

    The United Nations is bracing for a further increase in the number of refugees this year, as last month's earthquake in Turkey and Syria adds to a series of crises that has the world looking to Canada for more help.

    "The need around the world is enormous," said Kelly Clements, the UN's deputy high commissioner for refugees, on a visit to Canada this week.

    "It's the beginning of what we anticipate will be another very difficult year."

    Clements was touring the Middle East last month when the massive earthquake struck, and she headed for the large Syrian city of Aleppo in the immediate aftermath.

    She said the shaking woke up UNHCR staff in the early hours of Feb. 6, and they ran into the streets in their bedclothes, standing in the damp snow.

    "Despite some of our colleagues losing their houses, having damaged property, worried about loved ones and so on, everybody was back at the office that day," she said.

    "You can see apartment buildings where you could slice a knife through and see household effects, people's clothes, mirrors on the wall, dressers, etc."

    The Syrian civil war has been underway since 2011 and Clements said parts of Aleppo have sat in ruins for half that time as the "frozen conflict" restored relative peace to that part of the country.

    Many parts of Syria are held by warring groups, making the country's response much slower than Turkey's instant mobilization of government support. It took the Syrian government a week to loosen up its policy of heavily restricting border crossings, which further delayed the arrival of humanitarian aid.

    Still, the UNHCR was able to pull from programs across the Middle East and is now focused on setting up housing. Clements said the agency needs funding to arrange programming for orphans and separated children, as well as for protecting women from gender-based violence.

    "Our biggest concern is that when the spotlight is no longer on the earthquake response, even though the tremors may be gone, the needs will still be there," Clements said.

    "These are people that are going to need long-term support from the international community in order to rebuild their lives. It's not just about rebuilding structures."

    Syria had 21 million citizens when its civil war started 12 years ago. Now, 6.8 million Syrians are internally displaced and 5 million are refugees in other countries.

    "Some of our most underfunded programs in the world were part of the Syria situation," Clements said.

    "It has been easy for eyes of the world to move to other contexts that were more topical, more recent, more understandable -- but there is no less need in a serious situation."

    Across the border in Lebanon, 1.5 million Syrians are languishing in a country where one-fifth of residents are refugees from other states, the highest proportion on the planet.

    Clements, a former American diplomat in Beirut, recalled packing her own medicines on a recent visit, because of the lack of available supply in the country.

    Lebanon was years into political deadlock when a large part of its main port exploded in 2020. Inflation has rendered poor nearly all refugees in the country, as well as many Lebanese citizens, Clements said.

    "It's crisis upon crisis in Lebanon, some of its own making in terms of governance," she said.

    She noted that Lebanese people are increasingly shifting from hosting refugees from neighbouring states to fleeing their own country on rickety boats, with the number of deaths at sea rising threefold from 2021 to 2022.

    "It tells you the kind of desperation that people have gone to," she said.

    Meanwhile, another frozen conflict in Yemen has produced a humanitarian disaster, as a global appeal for aid reached only a third of its goal this week.

    The UN sought US$4.3 billion to restore adequate food, water and health services, but only received US$1.2 billion at a Monday pledging conference.

    The country is beset by a violent civil war, an economic blockade and increasingly severe natural disasters. Save the Children argued the funding shortfall "will have a negative impact on the lives of millions of children in Yemen and on the long-term stability of the country."

    On Monday, International Development Minister Harjit Sajjan announced $46 million for this year's Yemen appeal, which has Canada following a global trend of declining funding over the past three years.

    "It's fallen largely off the radar of the international community, and still hugely in need of humanitarian support," Clements said.

    Her agency recorded 65 million displaced people around the globe in 2015, a number that has ballooned past 100 million and by "a conservative estimate" will reach 120 million by the end of 2023, nearly a doubling in eight years.

    She commended Canada for being one of the top funders of the UNHCR and for resettling some of the world's most vulnerable refugees whose needs can't be met in many developing countries.

    But she also is hoping Ottawa increases funding for these needs in the next federal budget.

    "We need Canada to be with us even more in 2023 than they were in 2022."

    She argues UNHCR programming has restored dignity to people across the globe by resolving their immediate needs and empowering them to take up employment.

    Closer to home, an uptick in asylum seekers entering Canada at Roxham Road has Quebec urging Ottawa to somehow close the unofficial border crossing.

    Already, the federal government is busing hundreds of asylum claimants to Ontario and Quebec media have highlighted the lack of safe housing in Montreal for newcomers.

    While Clements doesn't follow Canadian politics, she said she's confident the country will remain open to helping people in need.

    "Canada has traditionally been an incredibly generous country with people, welcoming with open arms refugees, asylum seekers and others," she said.

    "I'm very confident that Canada can find ways to be able to continue to welcome those that need its international protection."

    This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 4, 2023.

    CTVNews.ca 星空传媒

    BREAKING

    BREAKING

    Three men were injured after a man armed with a knife entered a Montreal-area Islamic cultural centre Friday afternoon.

    A 15-year-old boy who was the subject of an emergency alert in New Brunswick has been arrested.

    Police have arrested an 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porche and then ran over its owner in an incident that was captured on video.

    Since she was a young girl growing up in Vancouver, Ginny Lam says her mom Yat Hei Law made it very clear she favoured her son William, because he was her male heir.

    The parents of a teenager who died after allegedly consuming the poisonous products of a Mississauga man are now suing him, as well as several doctors involved in her care.

    The search for a missing six-year-old boy in Shamattawa is continuing Friday as RCMP hope recent tips can help lead to a happy conclusion.

    • The debate over sexual orientation and gender identity education in schools is heating up. Protests both for and against SOGI in the curriculum took place across the country Friday.

    • A teenager has been charged with multiple offences related to stabbings that occurred in Surrey's Newton neighbourhood last week.

    • New Democrat Leader David Eby has launched his British Columbia election campaign a day early, making the key battle ground of Surrey his first stop.

    • Police have arrested an 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porche and then ran over its owner in an incident that was captured on video.

    • The parents of a teenager who died after allegedly consuming the poisonous products of a Mississauga man are now suing him, as well as several doctors involved in her care.

    • Michael Ford, Ontario's minister of citizenship and multiculturalism, says he is taking a leave of absence from cabinet to prioritize his health.

    • Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek is urging the Alberta government to preserve pieces of the massive Green Line transit project now being dissolved.

    • It will be the last show for longtime children's TV star Ron (Buck Shot) Barge as a memorial is held Friday in Calgary.

    • It's billed as 'Canada鈥檚 Largest Halloween Festival' and it's taken weeks to set up over 10,000 carved pumpkins that transform the WinSport bobsleigh track into a spooky spectacle.

    • Agreement in principle has been reached to build a new NHL arena at LeBreton Flats has been reached between the Ottawa Senators and the National Capital Commission (NCC), the two sides announced Friday.

    • Maplewood Secondary School is scheduled to open Monday after receiving a permit Friday morning allowing 50 per cent of the building to be occupied.

    • Police in western Quebec say a driver has been arrested after almost crashing into a school bus near La P锚che Friday morning.

    • BREAKING

      BREAKING

      Three men were injured after a man armed with a knife entered a Montreal-area Islamic cultural centre Friday afternoon.

    • A new garden and microforest, years in the making, have been inaugurated at John Abbott College in Montreal.

    • The Montreal couple from Mexico and their three children facing deportation have received a temporary residence permit.

    • Mounties say there was an increased police presence in the Emerald Hills area of Sherwood Park on Friday morning as officers searched for a man who is wanted by police.

    • There are plenty of fun happenings in Edmonton this weekend. It's time to savour that last little bit of the summer season before the leaves really start coming down.

    • Alberta Health Services says an E. coli outbreak at a daycare in Blackfalds has ended.

    • A 15-year-old boy who was the subject of an emergency alert in New Brunswick has been arrested.

    • Relatives of a 60-year-old man who took his own life in a Nova Scotia jail after long periods of confinement in his cell have launched a lawsuit against the province.

    • Family, friends and fans of late hip hop artist and battle rapper, Pat Stay will gather at events held in his honour on Saturday and Sunday.

    • The search for a missing six-year-old boy in Shamattawa is continuing Friday as RCMP hope recent tips can help lead to a happy conclusion.

    • A Manitoba veterinary clinic has two new ways of figuring out what鈥檚 causing a horse to be lame.

    • Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

    • BREAKING

      BREAKING

      A large police presence can be seen outside Regina鈥檚 Miller High School on Friday afternoon.

    • A 21-year-old man from Codette, Sask. is facing numerous charges in connection to a fatal crash near Wapella, Sask. Wednesday night that claimed the life of a 22-year-old Alberta woman.

    • Arguments between UR Pride and the Government of Saskatchewan on the Parents鈥 Bill of Rights will be moving ahead to the Court of Appeal for Saskatchewan beginning on Monday, Sept. 23.

    • Levels of hydrogen sulfide gas are being monitored at Brantford Collegiate Institute after a leak in their geothermal system.

    • Police have arrested an 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porche and then ran over its owner in an incident that was captured on video.

    • The second-degree murder trial of Thomas Hamp is being adjourned until December so an expert witness central to the trial can testify.

    • A 69-year-old woman from Outlook, Saskatchewan is dead and three people are injured after a truck and SUV collided on Highway 15 on Thursday.

    • A garage fire in Saskatoon鈥檚 Willows neighbourhood on Friday narrowly missed igniting an attached home, according to the fire department.

    • Emergency crews in northern Ontario found the bodies of four people inside a home where a fire broke out Thursday night.

    • Since she was a young girl growing up in Vancouver, Ginny Lam says her mom Yat Hei Law made it very clear she favoured her son William, because he was her male heir.

    • A 26-year-old driver from Surrey, B.C., has been charged with three counts of criminal negligence causing death and bodily harm in a crash that killed two youths in northern Ontario last year.

    • The timeline is short, but London officials are confident in their ability to submit a strong application for a Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hub that the province will begin funding next year.

    • A man is in hospital with life threatening injuries following a collision between a motorcycle and a vehicle on Friday afternoon.

    • A new outdoor music festival is launching this weekend in London - tickets are still available for the inaugural Fairway Fest at East Park.

    • Provincial police are investigating vandalism in Huntsville after the "senseless destruction" of flower displays along Main Street East.

    • A 17-year-old from Markham is facing serious charges after an August 11 shooting at a party in Caledon.

    • Two men from Barrie have been charged after a deadly shooting at a park in Keswick on Wednesday.

    • Windsor police say a 25-year-old mother has been charged with the drowning death of her 5-year-old child in the family鈥檚 backyard pool.

    • There is no threats to public safety following an incident involving a gun at a local high school.

    • A LaSalle couple has won $1 million after buying a ticket for the Aug. 13 LottoMax draw.

    • New Democrat Leader David Eby has launched his British Columbia election campaign a day early, making the key battle ground of Surrey his first stop.

    • The Old Man Lake wildfire near Sooke is the only one currently burning on Vancouver Island. It鈥檚 a region of the province that this year saw a drastic drop in blazes in the backcountry.

    • The debate over sexual orientation and gender identity education in schools is heating up. Protests both for and against SOGI in the curriculum took place across the country Friday.

    • A pair of runaway pigs are in the custody of an animal sanctuary in the Okanagan after evading police and volunteers for hours earlier this week.

    • The Red Bridge, a historic landmark in Kamloops, B.C., was completely destroyed by fire early Thursday morning.

    • Animal protection officers in British Columbia have rescued three pit bulls 鈥 including one that gave birth to 10 puppies 鈥 from a rat-infested home in Kelowna.

    • A Vulcan, Alta., man has been charged with a Lethbridge woman's murder after her body was found in the Oyen area.

    • A Lethbridge couple got a good reminder as to why you should keep your vehicle doors locked at all times.

    • Lethbridge residents who live near the police range can expect to hear plenty of shots fired Wednesday and Thursday.

    • A 26-year-old driver from Surrey, B.C., has been charged with three counts of criminal negligence causing death and bodily harm in a crash that killed two youths in northern Ontario last year.

    • Ontario Provincial Police say three suspects from southern Ontario have been charged and drugs worth $300,000 have been seized following a traffic stop Sept. 16.

    • A Brampton driver, 27, was charged this week when northern Ontario police stopped the SUV he was driving on Highway 17 after a reported shooting and found more than $100,000 in cash.

    N.L.

    Local Spotlight

    Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

    They say a dog is a man鈥檚 best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

    A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

    Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

    The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

    The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

    It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.

    A Good Samaritan in New Brunswick has replaced a man's stolen bottle cart so he can continue to collect cans and bottles in his Moncton neighbourhood.

    David Krumholtz, known for roles like Bernard the Elf in The Santa Clause and physicist Isidor Rabi in Oppenheimer, has spent the latter part of his summer filming horror flick Altar in Winnipeg. He says Winnipeg is the most movie-savvy town he's ever been in.

    Politics

    Health

    • A Nova Scotia woman has applied for a medically assisted death, saying after years of battling to receive out-of-country surgery for an illness that causes 'indescribable' pain, she struggles to maintain the will to live.

    Sci-Tech

    Entertainment

    • Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

    • It will be the last show for longtime children's TV star Ron (Buck Shot) Barge as a memorial is held Friday in Calgary.

    Business

    Lifestyle

    Sports

    • Agreement in principle has been reached to build a new NHL arena at LeBreton Flats has been reached between the Ottawa Senators and the National Capital Commission (NCC), the two sides announced Friday.

    • F1 star Max Verstappen punished over bad word

      Formula One points leader Max Verstappen was ordered to 'accomplish some work of public interest' after uttering an inappropriate word Thursday at the news conference ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix.

    • The Winnipeg Jets have some huge holes to fill on both offence and defence this season.

    Autos

    Shopping Trends

    The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop.聽Read about us.

    Stay Connected
    Follow CTV News