Ottawa (VNA) – Canada has setup a crisis relief fund to support the most vulnerable people in Myanmar,announced Canadian Minister of International Development and La FrancophonieMarie-Claude Bibeau.
The relief fund will receive all donationsof individuals and organisations in Canada from August 25 to November 28. TheGovernment of Canada is said to contribute a sum equivalent to the totaldonations to help people in Myanmar.
Since the start of the year, Canada hasprovided humanitarian aid worth 25 million CAD (20 million USD) for Myanmar andBangladesh, in response to a call of the United Nations to raise about 400million USD for the two countries to overcome current refugee crisis.
On October 23, Canadian Prime MinisterJustin Trudeau appointed former Premier of Ontario’s Bob Rae as special envoy forMyanmar.
According to unofficial statistics,violence that broke out in Myanmar since August 25 has forced over 600,000Rohingya people to flee into the neighbouring country of Bangladesh, with 70percent of them being women and children.-VNA