Secretary of State Randeep Sarai on Tuesday welcomed Tom Fletcher, United Nations under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, to Ottawa and announced a renewal of $6 million in funding for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Global Affairs Canada said the money is institutional support over three years. It will help the office, known as OCHA, ensure that people affected by conflict, disasters and displacement can access timely and effective humanitarian assistance.
Sarai and Fletcher discussed an increasingly complex global humanitarian landscape. Global Affairs Canada said that landscape is marked by rising humanitarian needs, declining respect for international humanitarian law and growing financial pressures on the international humanitarian system. They exchanged views on major humanitarian emergencies and emerging challenges anticipated in the coming year, and on ways to strengthen coordinated international responses.
Sarai underscored Canada’s long-standing partnership with OCHA, which the department said plays an indispensable role in enabling life-saving humanitarian assistance worldwide. In 2025, OCHA helped humanitarian partners collectively reach nearly 98 million people through coordinated responses, according to Global Affairs Canada. He reaffirmed Canada’s support for the office’s coordination work and its advocacy for people affected by conflicts and disasters.
Canada is contributing US$430 million, approximately C$600 million, toward the most urgent humanitarian needs identified in OCHA’s 2026 Global Humanitarian Overview, the department said. That contribution supports life-saving assistance for people affected by crises around the world.
Fletcher said Canada “puts its generosity to work where it matters most with US$430 million so far this year towards helping people at the highest levels of humanitarian need.” He said the renewed multi-year support “will also help us coordinate more aid to more people, faster.”
Sarai said OCHA’s leadership is more important than ever as humanitarian needs grow, and that the two discussed how to keep strengthening the humanitarian system, which millions of people affected by crisis depend on.
Looking ahead, Sarai highlighted Canada’s commitment to supporting reform of the humanitarian system as it prepares to chair the OCHA Donor Support Group. Canada will chair the group as of July 2027. In that role, Canada will lead and coordinate engagement between OCHA and its top donors, with the objective of supporting OCHA to deliver on its mandate, Global Affairs Canada said.
He emphasized the importance of sustained international cooperation to address growing humanitarian needs and to enhance the effectiveness of humanitarian action worldwide. The meeting reaffirmed the partnership between Canada and OCHA and a shared commitment to alleviating human suffering, protecting civilians and strengthening the global humanitarian response, the department said.