CANADA UPDATE ON DONOR PLEDGE FOR SOUTH ASIA

UNCLAS OTTAWA 003432 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: CA EAID PK PREL SUBJECT: CANADA UPDATE ON DONOR PLEDGE FOR SOUTH ASIA EARTHQUAKE RECONSTRUCTION REF: SECSTATE 182566 ¶1. (sbu) Econcouns received an update (per reftel) on Canada's disbursement of funds pledged for earthquake relief and reconstruction in Pakistan from Department of Foreign Affairs Pakistan Policy Officer Jon Bonnar and Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) Pakistan Analyst Stuart Lane. Lane suggested that the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) may not have the most complete figures for Canada's pledges relating to the Pakistani earthquake. He stated that Canada has dispersed CAN $75.6 million in relief and recovery funds, and has pledged CAN $40 million in reconstruction funds. (These reconstruction funds were pledged in the fall of 2006.) Lane said that although Canada attended the November 19, 2005 donor conference in Islamabad, Canada was unable at that time to pledge reconstruction funds because the Canadian government was in a caretaker status in advance of the January 2006 election. Instead, he said, the Canadian delegation restated its earlier pledge of CAN $55.6 million in "relief money" that had been immediately dispersed after the earthquake in an effort to save lives. Breakdown -------------- Relief Contribution CAN $55.6 Delivered Recovery Contribution via UN Agencies CAN $20 million Delivered Recovery Contribution via Canadian NGOs CAN $12.4 million Under contract -- not delivered Reconstruction Pledge CAN $40 million To be spent over next four years primarily rebuilding schools ¶2. (sbu) If Washington agencies would like a detailed spreadsheet of Canada's monetary response to the October 8, 2005 Pakistan earthquake, please send a request to carwilejl(at)state.gov. Visit Canada's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/ottawa WILKINS